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Deb Elkink
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The Red Journal Kindle Edition

by Deb Elkink (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 out of 5 stars 55 ratings
Flirty globetrotter Sybil badgers her friend Libby to travel along in seeking out the world’s “sacred places”—a monastery in Japan, a mountaintop in Africa, a mosque in Istanbul. Her footloose wandering far from family values costs her more than money. But Libby can’t afford to travel, and she’s plagued by a different kind of restlessness. Grieving the recent death of the grandmother who raised her in their inner-city Minneapolis tenement now slated for demolition, Libby faces homelessness in both heart and habitation. When Libby discovers a cryptic message from beyond the grave and an antique ring pointing to a mystery in an inner room of a mansion museum in North Dakota, she sets out on a quest of her own for the meaning of heritage and home.
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  1. Print length
    427 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    October 2, 2019
  4. File size
    4.4 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07WGWQZ3Z
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rolled Scroll Press (October 2, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 2, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.4 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 427 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 55 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Deb Elkink

    Deb Elkink

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    Deb Elkink lives in a cottage beside a babbling creek in southern Alberta, Canada, a stone’s throw from the Montana border and home base for exotic travels with her husband of half a century. She published her first bits of writing after graduating university (BA Communications), then married and spent twenty years as a homeschooling mom and ranch wife—rounding up cattle, earning her private pilot’s license, and cooking for huge branding crews. A graduate degree (MA Theology, summa cum laude) led to publication of a literary study on the fiction of G.K. Chesterton (ROOTS AND BRANCHES), prepared her as an academic editor, and jettisoned her into her long-held dream of writing "literary fiction with a theological twist." Her tales, incorporating travel and taste buds and the tumults of the heart, include two award-winning novels (THE THIRD GRACE and THE RED JOURNAL) as well as a collection of short stories (VAGABOND COME HOME).

    See more on the author's page
  2. The Mosaic Collection

    The Mosaic Collection

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    The Mosaic Collection launched in 2018 as an international community of independently published authors who approach life, faith, and writing together. Some have vast writing experience, others are somewhat new to the journey. Under The Mosaic Collection’s banner, they’ve published more than 20 novels and four anthologies.

    With over 150 years of collective writing experience, Mosaic's award-winning and best-selling authors are active leaders and members in prominent writing organizations. The goal of The Mosaic Collection is to encourage and uplift readers worldwide, offer hope in story form, and share the unconditional love and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ.

    Read more at www.mosaiccollectionbooks.com

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
55 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • LJShuck
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Red Hournal-Book 3 of The Mosaic Collection
    Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The Red Journal by Deb Elkink is the third novel in The Mosaic Collection series, a series written by a variety of authors with a focus on families of a different kind. When most of us hear the word family, we think of the nuclear family, mother-father-kids or extended family, grandparents-aunts-uncles-cousins. In The Mosaic Collection series, family is those things and more.

    For Libby, family was the grandmother who raised her with love and conviction. It was a grandmother who used cliches and things to point Libby toward focusing on brighter things. A beloved grandmother was all the family Libby had, and her anchor.

    With her grandmother’s death just a few months behind her, Libby feels adrift and restless. Having continued to live in the apartment she shared with her grandmother, Libby has decided to begin the daunting process of going through grandmother’s things in preparation for finding her own place, roots of her own. The apartment is chock full of knick-knacks all over and pictures, calendars, and cards with encouragement her grandmother loved tacked on the walls in every space possible.

    While the process seems daunting, Libby finds herself remembering with every knick-knack she removes and every picture she takes from the walls, the grandmother who used just those things to relate love and truths to her granddaughter. Spending hours and hours clearing the apartment, Libby finds that grandmother had a few things Libby had never seen before. Grandmother had a few mysteries in her life.

    Libby has a friend, bold and restless in her own way, loving to travel the world, never really settling into life. Sybil thinks the solution for what ails Libby is to travel the world with her. Libby has no desire to travel despite Sybil’s incessant chatter about all the places she’s been. When Libby finds a journal hidden amongst her grandmother’s things, she sets off on her own journey of discovery to North Dakota.

    Thus far, I can truly say I’ve enjoyed each book in The Mosaic Collection and look forward to each book as it releases. The Red Journal is well worth the read and I highly recommend it. I’ve given it four stars only because I found it difficult to follow Sybil’s portions in the book; kind of reminded me of someone jumping about on a pogo stick, going nowhere. I would be remiss if I didn’t remark on my connection with Grandmother’s penchant for things with memories and stories associated with them; I have a curio packed full of just those kinds of things.

    I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Just Read Tours, and am not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions therein are solely my own, and freely given.
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  • P.J.B.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Greatzs story!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Very intriguing, couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen. But MDM was a fascinating character and I appreciated reading about his love of Native American people. The only thing I did not like was having to read about all the New Age and Eastern "religious" stuff Sybil was embracing and her intimate exploits.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Regina Rudd Merrick
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great Mosaic Collection offering
    Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    “The Red Journal,” Deb Elkink’s Mosaic Collection debut in the third spot, explores the relationships between friends, grieving, and a family mystery that the main character, Libby, is desperate to solve. Facing unemployment and homelessness, she turns to her friend Sybil who tries to pull her away from her faith as much as her late grandmother tried to pull her toward God. An interesting take on friendships between women and the inner turmoil that they are left with when their last living relative dies, leaving them alone to wonder about their heritage. I would love to read a continuation of this storyline!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Ashley
    3.0 out of 5 stars The Red Journal
    Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2020
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    The book was too drawn out. That's why I only gave it a rating of 3 srars.Too much about Libbys friend. I enjoyed the book other wise.
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  • Erin S
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loss and Discovery
    Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2019
    My Thoughts on The Red Journal:
    You guys I picked up this book and I immediately couldn’t put it down. Well, the virtual version of the book I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen would be more accurate.

    The book is well written and the characters definitely made me fall in love.

    Libby recently lost her grandmother and because of that her home too as it’s going to be demolished. She really doesn’t want to go on the trip she can’t afford but Sybil won’t take no for an answer. It’s not that Sybil is uncaring but rather this is what she’d want someone to do for her if the tides were turned.

    When Libby finds some interesting things and receives a message from her dead grandmother things start to speed up. Libby must solve the mystery but can she do it in time? And how can she sleuth around a museum without being seen? Love it!

    I came into this book thinking it would be a short read and mediocre. But guys I was floored! This is a really great read with a solid plot. There are a few times it can be confusing as you get some information in chunks and pieces and you really just want to have it all at once. Highly recommend so go grab your copy and read it, then come back and let me know what you thought!

    I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from JustRead Publicity Tours. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
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  • jcrew
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2020
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    While I finally got into this story, it seemed to go all over the p!ace for me. I struggled to read it all.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Janet Sketchley
    4.0 out of 5 stars Carefully-imagined literary fiction
    Reviewed in Canada on October 3, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The Red Journal is a carefully-imagined novel for the literary, even scholarly, reader who likes to chew over a novel and tease out its depths. Libby and Sibyl are each searching for sacred spaces in their own ways, and the heart of MDM Laird’s manor is another sacred space.

    The story begins with Libby and Sibyl en route to visit the Laird Museum, and alternates this present with the recent past leading up to the journey. I would have found it an easier read in a linear timeline. Movement between multiple timelines is often done, and I’m not sure why it didn’t work for me here. It might be the short distance back in time, or the short duration of the “present” museum tour itself. Breaking the tour into sections may highlight the journey to the heart of the manor, and I’ve seen other readers commenting on enjoying the “dance” between timelines.

    As well-written as each scene is, the novel felt long to me. I don’t think we needed as much of Libby’s soup-making and apartment-packing, Sibyl’s travels, or even as much depth in Paige’s research. I wonder, in fact, if the story needed Sibyl’s point of view at all. Possibly any key information in her scenes could have been introduced through Libby’s observations. As with a good soup, condensing could have strengthened the flavour, and readers would have still been able to observe two women’s very different searches for sacred space.

    The novel also includes journal excerpts, perhaps to give readers extra clues to tease out the full story before Libby discovers it herself.

    Sibyl’s point of view scenes often share rich memories of exotic travels, which will appeal to readers who love to travel (and armchair travellers). Her mashup of various spiritual beliefs shows its hollowness but might still sound appealing enough to lead seekers astray.

    On the other side of belief, MDM Laird’s Bible-based faith has a few mentions and there’s some reference to God as “Father” near the end. The faith thread has enough hints for people who know their Bibles—even MDM’s name, Moses David Melchizidek—but biblical literacy is not a given for most mainstream readers.

    I appreciated the chance to read about 40- and 50-year-old protagonists, as well as the (fictional) historical character MDM Laird’s exemplary relationships with the Native Americans he invited to dwell on his estate. His focus on keeping their families together was a refreshing counterpart to the true-life travesties imposed by both American and Canadian governments.

    Deb Elkink is a skilled, award-winning author who writes at a deeper level than I can easily plumb. I’ve had to work harder than I like to figure this one out, and I’m not sure I have it yet. I think the concentric layout of the Laird Mansion Museum estate somehow connects with the choice of narrative structure, circling back upon itself.

    The Red Journal has a strong sense of place, in the unfolding history of the land around the manor and in Sibyl’s vividly-rendered exotic travelogues, which feel like the author has visited in person. Although the characters sometimes frustrated me, I appreciated the ending.
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  • Eleanor Bertin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Layers of depth in this literary feast
    Reviewed in Canada on October 14, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Something is missing in middle-aged Libby Walker’s grief-stricken heart after the loss of her beloved Gram. There's something missing, too, in young Paige Paullson’s graduate research into the life of a mid-western pioneer. Even in Sybil’s restless, crystal-saturated, energy-sucking heart there are twinges of searching and loss. The Red Journal features these three women as individuals groping for inner rest and yearning for something greater than themselves, but readers may recognize themselves in each one’s hunt for completion and meaning. Aren’t we all, at our core, simply walkers in search of Home?
    Elkink’s lyrical writing is worth the time it takes to ponder and sort the strands she weaves into a nearly Dickensian tapestry of connectedness by the novel’s end. I found some portions of Paige’s academic angst a bit repetitive, but savoury descriptions of Libby’s soup-making search for Gram’s special recipe and the colourful Sybil’s frenetic world-travel offer unique armchair adventure and sensory delights. Incidentally, for a dead character, Gram sure is lovable.
    Most intriguing of all, perhaps, is the music of the ancient Book of Hebrews coursing through the narrative. Those familiar with that tome will soon find themselves on a word search for references, from place and character names (Seven Canaan Lane and Moses David Melchizedek Laird) to images and even the repetition of the time motif, “Today”. In the pioneer MDM Laird's antique journal, several lines stand out:
    “At sundry times and in diverse manners…”
    “Today if you could hear my voice…”
    And spoken of him, "He came alongside the people he served. He became one of them.”
    But don’t make the mistake of thinking this book is all depth and heaviness. There are moments of subtle humour with the smarmy, knuckle-cracking real estate agent who’s coming onto Libby, or a girlfriend shopping trip and the discovery of a lipstick named “Gore”. And Sybil herself is hilariously frustrating. With her name nearly the same as Libby’s spelled backwards, she’s a cacophony of spiritual confusion and contradiction. She represents all the distraction and clamour the world offers those seeking inner peace. While she confuses Carl Jung with Brigham Young, and as a vegan, makes confession to her green grocer for her meat indiscretions, she’s really a tragicomic figure. Hints occasionally surface of her tender underbelly that carries a fear of death and her guilt and shame, using and being used by men, a slave to her own sensual appetites. Her character reminds us of ourselves and our craving for that which can never satisfy.
    This is a novel to savour and to ponder. Read it for its story’s universal appeal in the search for belonging. Read it again to plumb the human soul’s deepest cravings.
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  • Nicole Wegscheider
    4.0 out of 5 stars Mysterious Puzzle Pieces With Savoury Twists!
    Reviewed in Canada on March 27, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed reading the mysterious novel The Red Journal by Deb Elkink. Deb's writing style is adventurous and entertaining. The mysterious puzzle pieces were fascinating, in addition to the rich historical tapestry and the savoury cooking twists. I also liked the encouraging themes of family and hope. I would highly recommend reading this book.
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars A search for belonging
    Reviewed in Canada on November 18, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed the theme of wanting a sense of belonging, of having historical family connections. The excitement and relief of one of the main characters is palpable as she finally, in the end, discovers her family roots. The theme of forgiveness is another important aspect of the story. I liked the descriptive word choices to describe characters and their active movements. For example, instead of a character walking heavily across the floor, she "clumped" across the floor. Another of the characters tries to satisfy her longing for a parent present in her life, and for a way to evade thoughts of death, by filling it with selfish sensual delights and experiences through travel around the world in search of "sacred places," but finds herself at times questioning how satisfying it all is. But in the meantime, the author eloquently describes all these places as though she's seen them herself. The author has had to have done a lot of research in order for the book to seem credible, not just regarding travel but also with regards to New Age/Eastern mystical belief systems and a smattering of North American Plains Cree culture and history. It is a satisfying read.
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  • L H
    5.0 out of 5 stars Restless for Home!
    Reviewed in Canada on October 14, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This novel's restless characters made me restless for a bit! At first, I thought this was not a good thing: I was even slightly annoyed at some of the antics and attitudes portrayed by almost every character. But then the mysteries took over and the author’s fresh style won me over, drawing me to follow the emerging main character all the way home.

    At times, I felt as though I was time traveling and trekking the globe within the same chapter. Well-placed questions and partial information to provoke curiosity, imagery tying together timelines and natural conversation are just a few of the tools used to draw me into the story. Complexity sorts itself out, in the end, to leave me savouring the layers of thought.

    One of the characters was said to have “put the flesh of love onto the skeleton of knowledge” and I see how the author has done this herself in The Red Journal. You are in for a challenging journey so brace yourself: Author Deb Elkink does not dumb down logic, symbolism or theology for her readers.

    So, as satisfying as a bowl of homemade soup and as thought-provoking as a George MacDonald novel, The Red Journal delivers with meaning and nourishing imagery. The allegory is captivating!
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