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Ann Tatlock
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Promises to Keep Kindle Edition

by Ann Tatlock (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 846 ratings
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Eleven-year-old Roz (Rosalind) Anthony and her family have just moved to Mills River, Illinois, to escape an abusive situation. Only days after settling into their new home, they are surprised to find the previous owner, Tillie Monroe, on their front porch reading the newspaper. Though her sons have sold the house and sent her to a facility for the aged, she is determined to die in the place she lived her life, and somehow manages to find her way "home" day after day. Feeling sympathy for the elderly woman, Roz's mother allows Tillie to move back in.

Mara Nightingale becomes Roz's first friend in Mills River. In spite of their many differences, the girls discover they have something in common that binds them together--both are hiding secrets. So they make a promise--"cross my heart and hope to die"--never to tell anyone else.

When danger stalks the Anthonys, Tillie exhibits unimaginable courage and selfless love in her determination to protect the family she has adopted as her own.
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  1. Print length
    354 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Bethany House Publishers
  5. Publication date
    February 1, 2011
  6. File size
    3107 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Award-winning inspirational-fiction author Tatlock continues to excel in her latest contemporary novel, a coming-of-age tale about 11-year-old Roz Anthony. After leaving behind an alcoholic, abusive father, the Anthonys are just getting settled in their new home in small-town Illinois in the 1960s when the eccentric, stubborn Tillie Monroe shows up. The former owner of the house, Tillie has made a commitment to herself to die there and will not leave any other way. Filling a noticeable need in a single mother�s life, Tillie quickly becomes a member of the family, and her sweet faith in God soon refreshes the entire house. Tatlock skillfully addresses the issues raised by the era�s civil rights movement with the introduction of Roz�s best friend, Mara Nightingale, as both girls keep secrets that will bind them together in ways that were largely unheard of at the time. Even as it moves along at a comfortable pace, the novel is peppered with suspense. Young Roz�s story bears a resemblance to that of CeeCee in Beth Hoffman�s Saving CeeCee Honeycutt (2010). Recommended for fans of inspirational coming-of-age stories and tales of brave young women. --Elizabeth Ponder

From the Back Cover

A mother fleeing unspeakable danger to keep her children safe...

Two young girls guarding secrets in a "cross my heart and hope to die" pledge...

A father desperate to be reunited with his family...

Award-winning author Ann Tatlock skillfully blends her well-drawn characters into an inspiring tale of unimaginable courage and selfless love.

"It is a joy to savor her stories."
 --Publishers Weekly

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004NNV9UK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bethany House Publishers (February 1, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 1, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3107 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 846 ratings

About the author

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Ann Tatlock

Ann Tatlock

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I knew I wanted to be a writer from the time I tapped out my first stories on my grandfather's old manual typewriter in the summer of 1973. I studied English and theology in college and later went on to earn my master's degree in journalism from Wheaton College Graduate School. I worked as a writer and editor for Decision magazine from 1987-1992, when I left to pursue fiction writing fulltime. I find great satisfaction in my work, and I especially enjoy hearing from my readers. In addition to writing, I'm also the managing editor of Heritage Beacon, the historical fiction imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
846 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Carmen Redding
5.0 out of 5 stars Do your dreams hold you back or set you free?
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2013
Verified Purchase
Roz, the main character in the book, yearns for a father. Her dream is that her father will return, a changed man, so that they can be a family again. In her dream, her father has already taken the first steps in seeking a reconcilliation by moving to Mills River. Mills River is home to her Grandpa and the place where her mother comes to seek refuge after turning her back on an abusive relationship. Nevertheless, Roz holds on to hope.

In Mills River, Roz finds a kindred spirit in her new friend, Mara, who has a black mother and a white father. Mara and Roz have the same longing for a relationship with their fathers. Therefore, they make a "Daddy Deal." Each of them promises to pray that the other will realize her dream.

In order to keep that dream alive Roz decides to rid herself of her bad memories of abuse, recalling instead only the good things about her father. Roz says: "Bad memories are weeds and the good memories are flowers." However, there are not that many good memories to hang on to and too many bad memories that keep intruding on her thoughts.

When Tillie, the previous owner of the house Grandpa bought for them shows up intent on dying in the house she and her husband built with their own hands, the lives of Roz, Wally, Valerie, and their mother Janis are influenced by the older woman. Tillie believes that every moment of every hour is precious: "I ask God to help me remember the forgotten moments, and he always brings something good to mind...People look at greatness in the extraordinary and completely overlook the ordinary. That's why those moments are all forgotten, counted as nothing. It's a terrible loss." One of the reasons to love this book is that it teaches us to embrace every day the Lord has given us.

Tillie is not perfect, and does not pretend to have all the answers in spiritual matters, but she believes in the power of prayer, and it is prayer that saves the Anthony family when Alan Anthony returns to Mills River having changed his name and identity and concealing his presence from everyone except Roz.

This book is full of surprises and insight and wil keep readers turning the pages till the very end. I highly recommend this book and have used it with our book club.
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Becky Bentrim
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read with Great Characters
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
“Promises to Keep” by Ann Tatlock was a free eBook I received. It took a little while for me to get around to picking it up and reading it, but the more I read, the more captivated I became. This was a very enjoyable book.

The novel is narrated by Roz, a young girl that is struggling to understand why her mom moved her and her siblings far away from their dad, despite the fact that most of the memories that Roz has of her father are tainted with fear. It was interesting to see how idealistic she could be, despite having been witness to the terror that her father inflicted on her family. She just has a complete blind spot when it came to her father.

After moving to this new town, Roz and her family soon find their home being invaded by a crazy old lady named Tilly. She was an outrageous character that you couldn’t help being fond of from the very beginning. “The strange woman’s profile was framed in the passenger window, and for a moment I almost felt sorry for the old lady who was being hauled back to the home against her will. It seemed a sad way to finish up a life.” (Promises to Keep, pg 15). We learn that Tilly’s husband and herself built the house Roz and family moved into and when Tilly broke her hip, her son sold the house and put her in assisted living. Tilly refuses to accept that she no longer owns the house, and eventually everyone stops fighting against her and just lets Tilly do what she is going to do.

Tilly is a great character. She brought a different perspective into Roz’s life and a wisdom that you only develop after spending a lot of time living. “People look for greatness only in the extraordinary and completely overlook the wonder of the ordinary. That’s why those moments are all forgotten, counted as nothing. It’s a terrible loss.” (Promises to Keep, pg 116). I liked how Ann Tatlock used Tilly to bring up faith. I have my beliefs, but I tend to steer away from books that spout parts of the Bible like a geyser. It just gets to be too much. But Tilly is a character that I very quickly liked, and so when she expressed her thoughts and feelings on faith, it didn’t feel forced – it was just part of who Tilly was, and that is missing from a lot of other books that try to write a story about God. This was a story about a broken family trying to pick up and start again – the people they encounter afterwards are part of the natural flow of the story and Tilly and her faith go hand in hand with that.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I think that this was a great read. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially someone with a bit of a crisis on his or her hands. There was something calming about following these characters, and Tilly especially was such a great character. I was very impressed and would definitely pick up more of Ann Tatlock’s work.
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Top reviews from other countries

julie davis
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good story it kept me interested and wanting to know ...
Reviewed in Canada on October 4, 2014
Verified Purchase
Very good story it kept me interested and wanting to know what was going to happen next. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it and I will definitely be putting this author on my list of favorites.
One person found this helpful
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mickey mouse
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2014
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Satisfied thank you
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