Was woman made for God, or for man?A compelling look at the way woman’s identity and spiritual purpose can effect the heart of a girl.When young Cori’s best friend is no longer allowed to play with her, she knows that it’s her parent’s fault. She vows to have the priesthood in her home as soon as it’s her choice. But no matter how she strives, she can never fully belong to the right family.As an … fully belong to the right family.
As an adult, all the threats she has run away from finally catch her. Now, she must reconcile the weighty responsibility of forging her own path through the traditions of men.
After spending half her life looking for a safe place, Cori discovers that sometimes you have to walk into the desert to find home.
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Sworn to the Desert is the third book in the Breaking Bonds series. Each book stands alone, and can be read independently. If you want the recommended reader experience–they happen chronologically in this order:
Book #1: Sovereign Ground
Book #2: Heart of Petra
Book #3: Sworn to the Desert
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Sworn to the Desert is a wonderful story with heart. I love how Hilarey weaves the characters’ stories between the present and the past. By switching between the main character Cori in the present, and Coribelle, her name and the chapters from the past, I was compelled to continue reading beyond each chapter, so I could get to where the last thread of the story left off. Of course then I needed to read another chapter, and then another. I found it best to just quit reading in the middle of the chapter, so I wouldn’t be tempted to keep reading through the night. I loved how through the broken places in Cori’s life we could clearly see the struggle with faith, beliefs, and religion. And how all of those ideas are also tied to family and relationships. Through all the hard dry places Cori travels through, we also see the best story of real love and redemption come shining through. I loved this book and look forward to catching up with the other books in this series.
A powerful story about family bonds, how the things we are taught as truth growing up can affect our decisions and a God who loves us so much, if we just surrender, will make beauty from ashes. I loved this story!
Cori has been released from prison and is getting adjusted to real life. She meets Maleko, and they travel together to see Cori’s family whom she had left as a teen. Can Cori stop running and find redemption?
Hilarey Johnson switches the POV between CoriBelle as a kid/teen and Cori as an adult in the present so we can get some background leading up to Cori in the present.
Intriguing characters I want to read more about!
What I loved most about this new book from Hilarey Johnson was how real to life the characters seemed. Neither Cori or Maleko ever felt over written or disingenuous. All the supporting characters felt real-to-life as well. Not all good, not all evil, pitied but not hated (mostly) and flawed in very real ways. The other thing I really appreciated is how the author handled difficult relationships and situations. They were implied in a somewhat vague manner, easily understood by the reader as to the author’s meaning, without unneeded explicit descriptions.
This was an interesting perspective on the Mormon church. I grew up much like Coribelle, in the church but on the peripheral. Our church was not a fundamentalist one and I never knew of the controversial beliefs they held until I was much older and well away from it. My family were definitely “jack-mormons” who drank coffee, smoked and didn’t have us baptized at 8 years old. I identified with Coribelle’s dilemma of being involved but never fully included. I love how her story ended and was left wanting for it to continue!
A wonderful redemption story I can definitely recommend and a fantastic wrap up to the Breaking Bonds trilogy. I was given a copy of this book prior to its release, this is my honest opinion and freely given.