Footprints on the Ceiling, the latest book from author Dorcas Smucker, is a delight to read, especially on a rainy day, curled up underneath a cozy blanket with something hot to drink. Or a chapter at a time, while waiting for a late school bus. Or when you have an unexpected break in a busy schedule. I read it all these ways, and finished the last bit while sitting in a barn during my son’s horseback riding lesson. It was the perfect read.
In the days of ever abundant “bonnet fiction” (you know, those books with with young and pretty windswept pioneer girls on the covers), this is the real deal. Dorcas Smucker grew up Amish and married into a Mennonite family. She writes about faith and life with her husband and six children in rural Harrisburg, Oregon, but more than anything else, Dorcas is a storyteller. She finds herself in all sorts of humorous situations (orange dots on the ceiling? a Canadian goose escorting a forklift crossing a bridge backwards? cookie dough that just keeps oozing?) and knows just what to do with them. The stories are all true – you can’t make this stuff up!
Interwoven with the humor are tales of life lessons learned, sometimes reluctantly. Dorcas is refreshingly frank and honest about her own struggles as she raises her children to become self-sufficient adults and she draws the reader in with her candor.
Footprints on the Ceiling is the latest in a series of books Dorcas has written about family life, and in this volume, the kids are almost all grown. If you’ve never read any of her other books, you can jump in and start with this one. The book is suitable for anyone, but will especially appeal to moms, aunts, grandmas, sisters or cousins. I’d let my fourth grader read it, but I’m worried that the incident that led to orange dots on the ceiling might give him too many ideas…
As a participant in the blog tour for Footprints, I am giving away one free copy. Add your name to the comments if you’d like to be included. I’ll announce the winner this Friday, so please check back or leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.
Footprints on the Ceiling is available on Amazon or directly from Dorcas for $15 per book, postage included. You can mail a check to Dorcas Smucker, 31148 Substation Drive, Harrisburg, OR 97446. US addresses only. To send a copy to Canada or overseas, email Dorcas at dorcassmucker@gmail.com. You can also visit her website: http://dorcassmucker.blogspot.com/
And who put the footprints on the ceiling? You’ll just have to read the book to find out!
Books 'n stuff by Donna 