An Unpresentable Glory Review and Giveaway!

“Overflows with faith and an admirable message of redemption.”—Publishers Weekly
“A story our weary world desperately needs . . . An intense and personal exploration of one woman’s journey of faith and the struggle to follow God’s leading in this modern world of ours.”
Rachel L. Miller, co-author of the bestselling Windy Gap Wishes series

“I trusted you, and some day, you may know just how much you hold in your hands.”
Linda Jensen leads a relatively quiet life in Westchester County, New York, as the owner of a highly-acclaimed garden. Inherited from her parents, the garden is her pride and joy. What is not so joyful is finding a strange man sprawled near her delphiniums! The mysterious man is sick, unable to do anything more than drink water—and beg for secrecy. Ignoring all alarm bells, Linda sees to his needs, but her caring act takes on unexpected significance, an unpresentable glory.
Seeds of trust, and perhaps love, are planted in Linda’s garden haven. But as secrets are revealed and scandal hits the headlines, the act of caring for this man threatens to tarnish both of their reputations.
Like weeds in Linda’s garden, circumstances threaten to choke out their fledgling relationship, and small moments prove to be the biggest influencers—on a national scale.
Endorsements
“An Unpresentable Glory is a spiritual pilgrimage, a fairy tale, and a mystery all in one, but most of all it is a story about the unexpected miracles that come when you give of yourself for someone else. Eleanor Gustafson writes with humor and heart.”
Sara Goff, author of I Always Cry at Weddings
“Gustafson’s literary treatment of a theme of redemption and restoration is set in a literal garden of delights. It is both a parable and a provocative contemporary story, crafted by a writer who is skilled, precise, and imaginative in her use of words.”
Latayne C. Scott, award-winning author of A Conspiracy of Breath and Latter-day Cipher
“What an awesome and lyrical tale! Unexpected love and new life after loss, the power of forgiveness and sacrifice—Eleanor Gustafson’s beautiful new story will have you pondering the
nature of God’s love and service long after you close the book.”
Amy Deardon, author of A Lever Long Enough
“Ms. Gustafson keeps the reader moving at a steady clip with deeply drawn characters and situations rich in detail, bursting with heart and life. The book is a near tour de force, and should add a well-deserved feather to this author’s cap! Highly recommended.”
Linore Rose Burkard, author of historical romance and YA suspense
“An Unpresentable Glory is an unusual and compelling story. I quickly became engrossed in the storylines following the lives of the two main characters. Not only did I wonder—and sometimes fret—about what would happen to them next, I couldn’t keep from guessing how—or whether—things would ever work out right. To my delight, not only was the ending extremely satisfying, it was filled with surprises galore.
“Ellie Gustafson handles the Christian elements lovingly, biblically, and realistically. And the strong presence of Native American and Latino characters and the extremely knowledgeable references to flowers and gardening help to make An Unpresentable Glory a potentially award-winning novel.”
Roger E. Bruner, author of Rosa No-Name, three quirky romantic novels, and the young adult Altered Hearts series

My thoughts: This story started off with a bit of mystery at the beginning, which sucked me in. I enjoyed getting to know the characters as they grew in their stories and closer to one another. This has a lot going for it and a lot going on, making it hard to put down. I thought that the author did a great job of keeping the story moving forward.
I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

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About the Author:
Ellie grew up in Branchville NJ, in a county with more cows than people. She attended Wheaton College in Illinois as a music major, then married a pastor/college professor/tree farmer/organist and writer. Together, they have three children and eight grandchildren.
Music was Ellie’s first love until she tried on the cloak of writing and found it a comfortable fit. However, early writing attempts saw friends—and even her mother—advising her to stick to music as a career. She pushed manfully along, though, and An Unpresentable Glory is her sixth novel.
“God first touched me through story,” Ellie says, “and made the bigger Story come alive. I love Him passionately!”

Guest post from the Ellie:
What’s An Unpresentable Glory about? Here’s Linda’s point of view: Linda Jensen, a noted gardener, finds a stranger sprawled near her delphiniums, obviously ill. She gets him into her house and puts him to bed, deciding that water is the only safe thing to give him. Water in, however, must come out. He is helpless; she must serve him; but in doing this unpresentable task, she feels the presence of angels. [See the book Preface for my personal experience with this.]

Jay’s point of view: Jay finds himself ill and helpless on the lawn of a wealthy but caring gardener. He can’t even reveal his real name. When he leaves at week’s end, he sees the relationship as hopeless because of who he is and enormous repercussions if the hidden week comes to light. Tragedy and disaster haunt him, but a dual set of mentors leads him through churning waters. Will he ever get back to the garden?
* * *
Linda’s sun tea was “mostly Darjeeling with lemon and a sprig of mint.” After reading her description, I tried it and found it tasty, indeed!

For a complete list of the blog stops, please go here.

Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Ellie is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Butpee Flower gift card!! A perfect companion to Spring and this book! Go here to enter.