Postlude to The Prayer Box (A Carolina Chronicles)

Great book about reuniting family, mending broken bonds and finding and redefining yourself. It's about how our families, friends and neighbors help and support each other during tragedies, hardships and disasters. Above all it talks about how Gods love gets us through all.

I absolutely love books by Lisa Wingate and was so pleased to find this one. I highly recommend both this and The Prayer Box. These have wonderful plot lines that remind you of the importance of faith in your life without being "preachy."

wonderful story of 2 sisters and their journey. cannot wait until the next stop in the outer banks. lisa wingate is a great story teller. i have loved all of her books and she is just such a nice person.

I was anxious to read this book because I liked "The Prayer Box" so much and wanted to hear more of the sister's story. I enjoyed this book and was really into when it ended abruptly. I felt like there was more story to be told and was disappointed that it didn't continue the story further and include what happened when the main character returned home to the Outer Banks because I wanted to hear more about that as well and even though this was about the "sisters", I hoped the author would include the return home as well.

This book kept me reading until I finished it! Another great book by Lisa! Lisa has a gift of weaving a story that is entertaining and fun to read! I urge readers to take advantage of the great Kindle price...and read this book! I can't wait for The Story Teller to be available.

Loved finding out more of Tandy's history. Gina's continued behavior amazes me, but shouldn't. Always look forward to next book. So refreshing to have a good story without blushing because of bad language!!

Lisa Wingate has another winner. The novella was a fast read for me. When I read the last page, I truly wanted more. The main character Tandi has shown great maturity in this book. Sibling relationship is portrayed with a very real feel.

It seems we all hold onto the frustrations and guilt of the past. At different parts of the story I wasn't sure whether it was the past or the present. Other than that, I enjoyed the book. I will probably read another of Lisa Wingate's books.

What can I say? This is a good short story. I must have missed something. Where did Tandi meet Paul? What was so bad in her life between childhood and adulthood? Who did her children belong to, and what happened to their father?

The Tidewater Sisters is a story I couldn’t put down! As a postlude to The Prayer Box, this novella was a much anticipated read for me. I relished the chance to revisit the Outer Banks and step back into the lives of Tandi Jo Reese, her friends, and her family. I was captivated by the intrigue and emotion and loved how the compelling story unfolded! The Tidewater Sisters is another exceptional story from Lisa Wingate!

First love remembered, childhood relived, difficult relationship coming to a truce of understanding, secrets revealed, future affirmed, mystery unsolved. "The Tidewater Sisters" is the perfect bridge novella between "The Prayer Box" and "The Memory Keeper". Once again Lisa Wingate weaves a story of hope, reconciliation and love with characters who refuse to be broken by their past. One of my favorite quotes, "I realize that those who have loved us are never really gone They live on in all the ones we love and all the ways we love They are the reason we know how to love at all."

While "The Tidewater Sisters" is a bridge between the two books, it stands alone as a delightful read.

I read this book and was very disappointed that it was so short. To me this part of the story should have been at the end of the Prayer Box. It was just the end of the story not a whole book or even half. To buy a book you expect to to get a whole book. It was a waste of money and I think a terrible thing to do to the buyer.

Lisa Wingate’s THE TIDEWATER SISTERS, a novella as part of the Carolina Series (Postlude to The Prayer Box). If you haven’t read The Sea Glass Sisters and The Prayer Box—you are in for a treat, highly recommend.

The Carolina Series in order:
• The Sea Glass Sisters (Novella)
• The Prayer Box (Book 1)
• The Tidewater Sisters (Novella)
• The Story Keeper (Book 2, Sept 1, 2014 )
• Coming, July 2015 (Novella)
• Coming Sept, Sept 2015 (Book 3)

The Tidewater Sisters picks from The Prayer Box, with character, Tandi, where she was running from a dangerous past and childhood, finally found solace within Iola’s house, where the letters in those boxes changed everything.

Presently, Tandi is living in the Outer Banks of NC, engaged to be married to Paul, a local school teacher, a single mom for Zoey and JT, and works for the Benoit House Museum, overseeing its renovations and works part time at Sandy’s Seashell Shop.

Tandi’s life is going great, until she is served with legal papers—a lawsuit (real estate fraud). However, she owns no real estate. After further investigation, her worst nightmare—her sister, Gina. What has she done now?

She drives back to her grandparents’ old farm across the Pamlico Sound in the Carolina Tidewater, NC area—she loved her grandparents, which are now deceased and has some good memories, especially her first love, Luke. But then there was the accident.

All sorts of weird things begin happening, and more dark secrets are uncovered, when she returns to the farm. One shock after another, and then she has to do the unthinkable…turn in her sister or make things right?

Included in the jammed packed novella, bonus excerpts from the past two books, which I have read, and the and exciting upcoming (9/1/14)The Story Keeper, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I typically do not give a novella a 5 Star rating; however, Wingate is a master storyteller, and even her short e-books are so engaging and packed full of emotion, with her heartfelt stories—making you feel you are reading a satisfying full novel. Wingate combines Christian, contemporary, romance, multi-generational, and family drama into one compelling book.

Loving this series and looking forward to the upcoming,The Story Keeper,set in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As a native of NC, I love stories set in the coastal, Piedmont, and mountain areas of this region.

I highly recommend this book.

Tandy Jo is served papers for fraud she didn't commit. This causes her to return after many years to the old house where she was so loved by her grandparents. Here she meets two old friends from very long ago.

Really great lessons and quotes in this book too. "Perhaps, that is where its magic lies. The misty, impractical hues of childhood sprinkle glitter over everything."

"You can’t go back in time and grab the past, no matter how much you’d like to believe it’s possible"!

"I am thankful for this life in which ashes become second chances."

"God has the capacity to make incredible things from our mistakes."

This is an exciting book that I highly recommend!

It was a great joy to once again read something with Tandi Reese as the main characters. I loved her in The Prayer Box and it was nice to see her return to her grandparents house to sort things through.

This novella starts off with Tandi getting served for fraud and there is just one person she knows of that would use Tandi's name and that's her sister Gina. So she travellers back home to her grandparents home to find out the truth and to confront her sister. What she doesn't expect is to find out that how much everyone has lied to her when she was growing up...

I think that you really know how much you have come to care for a character is when you get upset for the person's behalf. And, let me tell you there were several times in this book that I wished that Tandi's sister Gina would go to prison. That was until the end when the last conversation between them made my heart melt a bit.

The story is bittersweet, there is great moments, but also really sad ones and I do wish the story had been longer. But that's probably because I have grown to care very much for Tandi Reese and I would without a doubt read more about her.

I was disappointed that the book ended so soon and that around 40% of the book were excerpts from the books in the series.

The Tidewater Sisters by Lisa Wingate
Carolina Series
Tandi Jo Reese’s life is finally on track. She is going to marry a wonderful man in two weeks, her children are happy and the Benoit museum will be opening soon. After coming across the prayer boxes Iola Poole left behind...it really changed Tandi’s life.

One thing hasn’t changed though, her sister Gina. Tandi receives notice she is being sued for fraud, and it all ends up at Gina’s door, again. When another blast from the past hits Tandi her world begins to tilt slightly. Can Paul’s love and her new understanding of God carry her through this crisis as well?

This is a short novella that picks up on Tandi’s life after The Prayer Box. Sometimes you have to face the past head on in order to move ahead to path before you. You can’t keep walking forward while looking behind. The struggles Tandi faces are so real. Loving someone and yet having to be firm isn’t easy with her dysfunctional past trying to hang on.
**Received through NetGalley for review

As this story opened, I was immediately immersed in the misty, moody dream world of Tandi Jo and her memories of her first, long-lost love. I felt suspended with her until the shock of awakening to another, her soon-to-be husband. That dream becomes a critical part of Tandi’s story, and I loved the bittersweet surprise.
Once again, Lisa Wingate compels me to visit the Outer Banks with her heroine. Tandi Jo is preparing for a wonderful future when the past slaps her in the face and whirls her back to her grandparents’ farm. The one place she felt safe in the war zone that was her family.
I love the misty dreaminess of the author’s writing and her skillfully etched realism of a life that has never been easy. Faith is not preached, but it is the very canvas on which this story is painted.
This book held me captive until the very end, and its characters will stay with me for a very long time. The Tidewater Sisters earns five stars.

Because I have recently finished reading the Prayer Box, I'm still very familiar with the contents of the story and the characters. I feel like this novella was under developed and was wrapped up quickly and without warning. The major conflict of this story was resolved, but the surrounding plot was left hanging and with more questions than answers. I enjoyed it, I just was left a little hungry for more of the story.

Another great story from Lisa Wingate. She never fails to deliver!!!! This book is a great bridge between The Prayer Box and her soon to be released book, The Story Keeper, which I have been privileged to read as part of her Traveling Circle of books, for people to pre-read. This book is a shorter novella, while The Prayer Box and The Story Keeper are full length novels. I highly recommend all four books in this series. The Sea Glass Sisters was the first book, a novella, in the series. Lisa Wingate is an amazing author, that has the ability to make you feel like you are right there in the places she is writing about. She is my favorite author.

THE TIDEWATER SISTERS is the perfect epilogue to The Prayer Box. I enjoyed finding out what happened after the ending of The Prayer Box, and worried for awhile that Tandi's and Paul's wedding might be derailed.

Tandi's relationship with her sister is really sad. I can relate in some ways. I found myself hoping they could resolve the matter in a good way. I want to find out more about what happens with some of these characters, such as Luke, Laura, her pascal of foster children...

This is a great novella, quick, easy to read, and gripping. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Remember S'mores? I mean that wonderful camp fire treat of a hunk of Hershey bar and a hot toasted marshmallow sandwiched between two graham crackers, unfailingly leaving you begging for s'more! That's what I felt like when I finished reading this novella by Lisa Wingate! Give me s'more! Love this book! My only complaint is that I wish it could last longer. I am a dedicated fan of Lis's writing, and have read everything she's written; I would consider "The Tidewater Sisters" one of her best. If you haven't read "The Prayer Box", you might like to read it first. You'll meet the characters there, although every Wingate book is complete within itself. Can't wait for the upcoming release of "The Story Teller! Thanks Lisa. We can always depend on you!

I am just discovering this author. She is fantastic ! I can't wait to read more and more. The plot of this book is kur past. Our past has a place in our lives and in kur hearts. We learn from it but we leave it there, grow, and move on.

The Tidewater Sisters is another wonderful read by Lisa Wingate. As a bridge between "The Prayer Box" and Lisa's next book, "The Story Keeper", The novella follows the story of Tandi Jo and her estranged sister Gina and reveals so much more of their personal story of family dysfunction. Lisa always manages to touch my heart with her wisdom, which can be applied to any life!
So looking forward to The Story Keeper in September!

What a story!!!! Lisa Wingate has done it again! She has a way of pulling you into the story and keeping you there until the very last word is read. Tandi Jo Reese has had hard times her whole life and just when things are looking up, trouble raises its ugly head. She how Tandi's determination and love of the past bring about the joy and peace she deserves.

A delightful story. The Prayer Box was amazing and this offers insight and a nice conclusion for the characters we meet there. Lisa Wingate can weave a tale without the trash so often found in today's novels.

After staying up most of last night reading THE TIDEWATER SISTERS, I am eagerly awaiting the September release of Lisa Wingate's book, THE SECRET KEEPER. This novella follows the lives of Tandi and Gina, the sisters from THE PRAYER BOOK. Their relationships and lives are so different from those of my sisters and me that I find the reading fascinating. Another winner by Lisa!

Lisa Wingate easily draws the reader into her stories with life experiences and emotions that often many can relate to in their own lives. I know this is why I thoroughly enjoy her books. In The Tidewater Sisters there in the relationship struggle between two sisters with disappointment, anger and hope told in their story. Plus another, just as important story, unfolds as Tandi Jo searches her grandparents’ home and relives the many memories – good and bad --- of her childhood and the people who shaped her life including her best childhood friend and first love. Lisa cleverly weaves stories within the stories that keep you involved and wanting to read more. My only disappointment is the novella was too short and I want more about the characters we come to love from the Outer Banks.

The Tidewater Sisters, is a great book. I had wished it had been full length book. It brings back people we feel like we know. I recommend you read this book, you'll not be disappointed. You won't want to put it down. I now want to go back & read The Prayer Box again. Thanks Lisa,

I always just want to climb into Lisa's stories! She has a magical way of drawing you into her characters' lives! The Tidewater Sisters had me cheering for Tandi Jo and wanting to snatch Gina bald headed. Wonderful story!

Review: Tandi Jo Reese finally seems to be getting her life in order. She has been working on getting the Benoit House museum ready to open. She and Paul are planning their wedding, which is only two weeks away. And Zoey and J.T. seem to be finally becoming part of a normal family with everything. It seems as though nothing could go wrong, until she finds out that she is being sued for stealing earnest money on a property that she doesn’t own, or at least thinks she doesn’t. There is only one person who could be in the mix of all of this, her older sister Gina. After finding out that has been named in a lawsuit on her grandparent’s farm in the outer banks, Tandi Jo drives to a place she hasn’t been since she was a teenager. What surprises await her arrival?
I was very happy that Lisa Wingate decided to write a postlude to The Prayer Box. I felt like the book ended and left a few questions unanswered. Then Gina disappeared and we knew that the story with her wasn’t going to be over. Thankfully, we got the continuation of the story to give even more closure to the character of Tandi Jo than was shown in the actual book.
Tandi Jo’s character continues to get more developed and we still see the signs of past abuse that haunt her. Gina actually grows in a positive direction by the end of this book, leaving readers with more of a happy ending than the previous book. The postlude only deals with the two sisters primarily, but has some small parts for the supporting characters as well. I was glad to see the story continued on. Maybe there will even be a sequel at some point.

The Sea Glass Sisters novella started the story. Then came The Prayer Box and now the postlude to The Prayer Box with this novella. Coming in September '14 is The Story Keeper (excellent book, by the way) and although The Story Keeper doesn't tie in yet I'm guessing everything will in Lisa Wingate's next book or novella next year. The Tidewater Sisters is a great ending to The Prayer Box or maybe it won't be for some of The Prayer Box characters.

I loved the previous book (The Prayer Box), and I was expecting more of the same - reflective, nuanced, subtle, a character who is growing and developing through her journey. I thought it would be a continuation of her life story, similar to the way Jan Karon develops her characters and stories through the series. I was very disappointed. Rather than developing and moving into the future, this book focuses on one event. The reactions are seething with anger, resentment and negativity. While it could be argued that the value of this book is in Tandi learning to stand up for herself and finding closure, I would have preferred a sequel that focus on moving on into the future. If I had read this book alone, I would have said that Tandi didn't have a lot of redemptive qualities. This book was so different from the previous one, that I had to wonder if they were written by the same author. Needless to say, I won't be buying the prequel to The Prayer Box.