Into the Free by Julie Cantrell ~ Book Review

Nine year old Millie Reynolds has a hard life.  She lives with her Mom and Jack in Mississippi and the depression has hit the area hard.  Jack is her Dad but she refuses to acknowledge him as such because he hasn't deserved that title.  Jack is a cowboy with the rodeo and is gone a lot and Millie's Mom tends towards long periods of deep depression leaving Millie to care for the both of them at her young age.  When Jack is home Millie and her mom live in fear of his drunken rages.  But still her Mom stays.  There is nothing Millie wants more than to escape.  So when she meets one of the young boys that travels with the gypsy caravan that comes through the area every spring, Millie is drawn to the traveler's seemingly care free lifestyle and longs to go with them.  As she turns into a young teen Millie looks forward to the spring when the gypsy's return.   With promises from River the young gypsy boy to come back to get her, Millie has some hope to hang onto.  But when the old woman from the caravan who has befriended her, gives her a key that she says will unlock some of Millie's family secrets, Millie will find a confrontation with her mother looming.  Before she can convince her Mother to share all the secrets and right before River is due to arrive back and take her away, tragedy strikes and Millie finds herself homeless.  Befriended by a nurse in the hospital, she is taken home to live with them in a lavish home.  Yet Millie cannot let go of the hope of River coming back for her.

Depression era, dust bowl, 1930's stories usually are a draw for me so that is why I picked up this Christian fiction.  This story has received lots of top reviews, but honestly, though it was well written, I didn't enjoy it so much, mainly due to the significant heavy content.  In all fairness I read it  at a time when I probably should be reading something light and fluffy due to stressors in my own life right now.    I feel I must give trigger warnings as the story is based on so much of the following:  domestic abuse, addiction, rape, depression, child neglect and religious legalism . Some parts were very difficult to read because of the nature of the violent or disturbing act.  It is labelled as Christian fiction so it did uphold to not crossing certain lines of description but were vivid enough to let the reader know the trauma.    It's a coming of age story set in very hard times and circumstances for young Millie and follows her into her late teens.  I, personally, found there wasn't a lot of open spaces to breathe from all the sadness.  I liked the character of Millie and my heart went out to her young character.  Her devotion to her mother was beautiful but some of the decisions she made as events unfolded seemed out of character to how she had been portrayed up until the point of decision. There were glimmers of hope woven into the story that were refreshing and there is a trail of faith blended in though not in an obvious in your face way.  I really was rooting for Millie and even though I wanted it to end good for her I found the ending wrapped up too easily, so much so it was almost jarring for me.  For all the trauma there was just too big of a quick leap to a nice ending for me with no solid path to all of a sudden be at that point.   It was a hopeful ending however and there is a second book so maybe there will be more explanation in that one.  

I rated it a 7.5/10

Reading Challenge Goals Met:  

          - May Read Your Shelf Prompt:  A New to Me Author

          - A Book Purchased in 2020 - 2022