Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes

A multi-tasking mama, Summer Finley has found ways to handle whatever life throws at her with grace and a grin. Until now, that is. An “abnormal” medical test result sends Summer into an emotional tailspin and prompts her to fulfill a life-long dream of “meeting” her best friend and pen pal since fourth grade, Noelle Van Zandt, face-to-face.

Their blissful week together in the Netherlands finds Summer and Noelle floating down a canal in Amsterdam, visiting Corrie Ten Boom’s Hiding Place, sipping decadent Dutch cocoa in Delft, and bobbing merrily along through a sea of brilliant, spring-fresh tulips. Each day takes them further from midlife anxiety and closer to trusting God in deeper ways.

When Summer finally confides in Noelle about the abnormal test results, Summer’s honesty prompts Noelle to share a long-held heartache. The two friends find they both needed to be together more than either of them realized. Could it be this adventure was tucked away in God’s imagination long before Summer bought her ticket to fly to the land of merry tulips and kalomping wooden shoes?

Book review

Pen pals.    Summer and Noelle have been pen pals their entire lives, but they have never met face to face.      However, Summer receives a phone call from her doctor that has the potential to rearrange her well ordered world.     Summer does something very out of character.    She picks up the phone and books a ticket to fly to the Netherlands to finally meet her best friend and pen pal, Noelle.

After their initial shyness, they relax and fall into the natural friendship which they have shared through childood, teenage angst, college years, getting married, children and daily lives.     They spend one entire week getting to know each other's day to day personality.     It is so fun and they find themselves in so many hilarious predicaments.     I wanted to book my own ticket to the Netherlands to walk through fields of tulips and eat pannenkoeken.      More than anything I wanted to be able to visit the Corrie ten Boome home and experience what they experienced.

Every book has treasures (and this book has many), but this book had one that I have written and posted on my "morning wall".     What is a "morning wall"?     It is actually a door in my closet.    Any time I am reading my Bible or a book like this and I read something where God whispers in my ear I write it down and post it there.    I am able to have all these God whispers in one place to glance at and see each morning before I start my day.

What was the God whisper from this book?

"You are not meant to carry such a heavy burden. Give it back to God and keep giving it back to him until you have no more grief in your heart to hand over to Him. Then wait and see what gift He places in your empty hands."   (pg. 220)

Beautiful.    Now I seriously want a pair of wooden shoes!


I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.   Thank you so much, WaterBrook!