About the Book:

Book: An Unpresentable Glory

Author: Eleanor K. Gustafson
Genre: Christian, contemporary, literary fiction
Release Date: July, 2018

“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. It is not so joyful 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, and 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.

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My Review

If you are looking for a very unique fiction that has a lot of layers to it this book is for you. The characters had real-life struggles that the author didn't mince words with, and the book addressed adult issues for sure, and how the presence or lack thereof of God in one's life made the difference in each character's life. I wouldn't say this book fits into one genre- it had romance, but not the typical you would expect, it has some inspiration, but it is presented in a different way, and it had some mystery to it, but more mystery in that you didn't really know what to expect. Honestly, I felt that the quality of writing was well done, but I found the characters not very relatable, and I felt that overall it was just too wordy and too abstract for me to where it just didn't flow well. Also, the way the adult issues were dealt with was just a little uncomfortable to me, and I felt like too much detail was given than really needed. With all that said, seeing as this fiction is definitely one of a kind, I would suggest you read it for yourself as my personal opinions don't seem to match up with a majority of readers. If you're looking for a totally unique Christian fiction, this one is for you!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are entirely my own.

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!”

More from 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!