About The Book
Book: Moments We Forget
Author: Beth Vogt
Genre: Contemporary fiction, woman’s fiction
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Jillian Thatcher has spent most of her life playing the family peacemaker, caught in the middle between her driven, talented older sister and her younger, spotlight-stealing twin sisters. Then on the night of her engagement party, a cancer diagnosis threatens to once again steal her chance to shine. Now, Jillian’s on the road to recovery after finally finishing chemo and radiation, but residual effects of the treatment keep her from reclaiming her life as she’d hoped. And just when her dreams might be falling into place, a life-altering revelation from her husband sends her reeling again. Will Jillian ever achieve her own dreams, or will she always be “just Jillian,” the less-than Thatcher sister? Can she count on her sisters as she tries to step into a stronger place, or are they stuck in their childhood roles forever?
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My Impressions:
Moments We Forget is the second book in Beth Vogt’s Thatcher Sisters series. I somehow missed book 1, but that did not keep me from fully engaging in this touching story of loss and hope. The novel is contemporary women’s fiction at its best. Vogt’s characterization is spot-on as she develops the sometimes uneasy relationship between sisters Jillian, Johanna, and Payton. The book is told in Jillian’s first person voice with third person POV glimpses into Johanna and Payton’s lives. And while the story focuses mostly on Jillian, Vogt does a great job of advancing the other two’s story lines. Jillian has come out on the other side of breast cancer clinging to the hope for a return to normal. Unfortunately, there is a new normal. I am the daughter of a breast cancer survivor and have several close friends who have come through that fight, but (to my shame) I never realized the struggles that survivors face even as they get a cured report. Moments We Forget really opened my eyes. But while Jillian’s breast cancer journey is part of the story, it is not the final word. Her search for identity and turn towards God are more than believable. This middle daughter who has always lived with the label of just Jillian, learns a lot about herself, her marriage, her family, and the relationship she can have with God who impacts all those things.
Complex family dynamics, well-written dialog, believable characterization, relevant themes — you will find all these and more in Moments We Forget. I flew through this book and am eager to go back and read book 1, Things I Never Told You (it’s already waiting on my Kindle). I highly recommend this book — it is one of the best I have read this year.
Highly Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(Thanks to Celebrate Lit for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
About The Author
Beth K. Vogt is a nonfiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” A women’s fiction novelist, Beth’s first novel for Tyndale House Publishers, Things I Never Told You, released May 2018.
Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RITA® finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. A November Bride was part of the Year of Wedding series by Zondervan. Having authored nine contemporary romance novels or novellas, Beth believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us.
An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Novel Rocket and also enjoys speaking to writers’ groups and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband, Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories. Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.
More from Beth
“A sister is like yourself in a different movie, a movie that stars you in a different life.”
Deborah Tannen (1945-), sociologist
I’m launching Moments We Forget, book two in the Thatcher Sisters series, and I’ve just turned in the final book in the series. I’d love to share book three’s title with you, but I don’t know what it is. (Of course, book three might have a final title by the time you read this—that’s part of the fun of prerelease deadlines.)
One thing I do know: the theme of “Little Women gone wrong” is woven through all of the books . . . thanks to the Thatcher sisters: Payton, Pepper, Jillian, and Johanna.
Sisters, be they real or imaginary, can be complicated.
Of course, there are sisters who have close relationships. They “get” each other and love doing life together.
But then there are the sister relationships that are like mismatched socks. Or those expensive jeans you loved in the store, but when you bring them home, they never quite live up to those moments in the dressing room.
Such are the Thatcher sisters. Johanna, Jillian, Payton, and Pepper grew up in the same family. They’re all tall. They love Broncos football and board games. But in so many ways their lives are like different movies because they each made different choices. Choices that changed and separated them. Moments We Forget continues to explore whether the Thatcher sisters can find a way to understand each other enough to bridge the distance between them.
Blog Stops
Livin’ Lit, May 7
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 7
The Power of Words, May 7
Among the Reads, May 8
Carpe Diem, May 8
Quiet Quilter, May 8
Wishful Endings, May 9
Christian Chick’s Thoughts, May 9
Simple Harvest Reads, May 10 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)
Remembrancy, May 10
God’s Little Bookworm, May 11
Just the Write Escape, May 11
Spoken from the Heart, May 12
Splashes of Joy, May 12
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 12
Through the Fire Blogs, May 13
Genesis 5020, May 13
By The Book, May 13
Bigreadersite, May 14
A Baker’s Perspective, May 14
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 14
Pause for Tales, May 15
Moments, May 15
Stephanie’s Life of Determination, May 15
All-of-a-kind Mom, May 16
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 16
Texas Book-aholic, May 16
janicesbookreviews, May 17
Living Life Free in Christ, May 17
To Everything A Season, May 17
Real World Bible Study, May 18
Older & Smarter?, May 18
A Reader’s Brain, May 18
Inklings and notions, May 19
Hallie Reads, May 19
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 19
Godly Book Reviews, May 20
The Becca Files, May 20
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 20
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Beth is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card plus a softcover copy of Moments We Forget!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e26d/moments-we-forget-celebration-tour-giveaway
I remember reading Things I Never Told You and am eager to read book 2–Moments We Forget. Having two older sisters myself, I can relate to growing up in the same family but then having our lives diverge as we all make different choices.
I plan on reading book 1. So sorry I misse it. I thought the book was very realistic.
Great review! I loved this book.
Yay!
This sounds like great women’s fiction! I’ll have to check out this book and author, as I’ve never heard of them before.
Susan
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