Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Thomas Nelson Inc (2011), Edition: 1, 343 pages
Description
Fiction. Suspense. HTML: It's her destiny to die young. The man who loves her can't live with that. Promise, a talented young singer with a terminal illness, is counting on fame to keep her memory alive after she dies. Porta is an aging sorceress and art collector in search of immortality. When Promise inexplicably survives a series of freak accidents, Porta believes that she may hold the key to eternal life. Enter Chase, an autistic artist who falls in love with Promise and fascinates her with his mysterious visions and drawings. Soon, all are plunged into a confrontation over the mystery and the cost of something even greater than eternal life...eternal love. "Heart�??pounding suspense and unrelenting hope that will steal your breath."�??�??Ted Dekker, New York Times best�??selling author (for Never Let You… (more)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
343 p.; 9.5 inches
ISBN
1595547517 / 9781595547514
User reviews
LibraryThing member TammyPhillips
What are The Promises She Keeps? This novel by Erin Healy was good. It peeked my interest. I am now thinking about the symbolism I may have missed in the first reading. All positives, in my mind, as I finish a satisfying read.
This story revolves around the question of life and the source that
I recommend The Promises She Keeps. It was a satisfying drama with compelling characterization. I especially liked reading about Chase. I believe the author portrayed his autism very realistically. It was in his nature, due to the autism, to take things very literally, to not let emotion cloud his reasoning, and to approach people with the innocence of a child. We could all benefit from a little more of that innocence and deliberateness about delivering the truth as we know it.
I would like to thank booksneeze.com for providing me with this complimentary copy of The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
This story revolves around the question of life and the source that
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powers that force. Chase, a young man with autism, draws his visions of that force. His representations are pictures of trees and his verbal descriptions are of potent Biblical verbage, delivered matter of factly, as a person with autism would deliver it. Porta, an aged curator of art, looks for life in mystic forces and the quest for immortality. Promise, a budding vocal talent with cystic fibrosis, aims to prolong her life through fame. In the end, the characters find life in love and sacrifice. I recommend The Promises She Keeps. It was a satisfying drama with compelling characterization. I especially liked reading about Chase. I believe the author portrayed his autism very realistically. It was in his nature, due to the autism, to take things very literally, to not let emotion cloud his reasoning, and to approach people with the innocence of a child. We could all benefit from a little more of that innocence and deliberateness about delivering the truth as we know it.
I would like to thank booksneeze.com for providing me with this complimentary copy of The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
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LibraryThing member BonnieSB
Promise is a young singer hoping that the fame she so desperately seeks will immortalize her, as she has cystic fibrosis and expects to die young. Portia is a witch and art gallery curator who has searched her whole life for the goddess that will give her immortality and has no regard for the
At first the stories of these three individuals seemed so disconnected, and in truth I had a hard time believing in, or being drawn into, their connections once they were revealed. I found the ending rather abrupt and would have preferred a little more time being spent tying up those loose ends. I read one reviewer who referred to this book as “Christian Science-Fiction” and for lack of a better term this is the genre I would place it in as well. The story line was a little supernatural for me to really get engaged. For the most part I found it to be a fairly enjoyable read, but I see myself forgetting the plot and characters quickly. There were some broader themes in the novel, such as the idea of what immortality really is (is it being remembered, living forever, or heaven) that made me think. However, there was too much emphasis on the supernatural elements, and not enough exploration of these themes for me to really have loved this book. I felt it to be a good read, but not an excellent read.
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people that will be hurt in pursuit of that goal. And Chase is a man with autism who uses his incredible artistic talent to draw visions of people whom he has not even met yet. At first glance his drawings appear to be of various species of trees and have an eerie ability to foretell the future. At first the stories of these three individuals seemed so disconnected, and in truth I had a hard time believing in, or being drawn into, their connections once they were revealed. I found the ending rather abrupt and would have preferred a little more time being spent tying up those loose ends. I read one reviewer who referred to this book as “Christian Science-Fiction” and for lack of a better term this is the genre I would place it in as well. The story line was a little supernatural for me to really get engaged. For the most part I found it to be a fairly enjoyable read, but I see myself forgetting the plot and characters quickly. There were some broader themes in the novel, such as the idea of what immortality really is (is it being remembered, living forever, or heaven) that made me think. However, there was too much emphasis on the supernatural elements, and not enough exploration of these themes for me to really have loved this book. I felt it to be a good read, but not an excellent read.
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LibraryThing member reading_crystal
I thought The Promises She Keeps would be a hard book to review, until I started reviewing it and really thinking abou the book. When I finished the book I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I knew I could not put it down and I was enthralled by the book, but at one point I was also perturbed by the
What did I like? Ms. Healy can writes an amazing book and did with The Promises She Keeps, her writing just flows and describes things so well without being wordy. I loved Promise, Chase, and Chelsea. Wonderful characters. I was fascinated by the fact that the main character in this novel, Promise has Cystic Fibrosis. My nephew has Cystic Fibrosis and 6 years ago we had no idea what that disease entailed, and only knew that it existed from the yearly telethon on tv. Now we do know about it and from what I read in this book Ms. Healy did her research well or she knows someone with CF. Promise is an amazing character and I welcome this book to educate so many others about this disease and help understand that each year that CF research is funded that people are helping extend CF patient's life. 20 years ago the life expectancy was in the teens, now it is in the 30s. Wow - that is pretty amazing.
Another main character, Chase, is autistic and I loved the look into his life and his mannerisms and the life of his twin sister, Chelsea who is his primary caretaker. These two were fascinating characters and I enjoyed reading about them just as much as Promise. Chase is just amazing, his drawings sound beautiful and his dedication to God is just beautiful. Chelsea's dedication to Chase is also awe-inspiring. She sacrifices everything to do what she can for him and that is a beautiful quality in a person.
The plot kept me entranced, I kept turning the pages to see what happened next and I read the last 200 pages in one sitting - that is how involved I was in the book. Ms. Healy does a marvelous job building up the tension without making it too intense. You can kind of see where the book is going, but that doesn't hurt how you read the book because you still don't know how it will get there and the ending is still a surprise.
My moment of dislike (and this is a personal opinion) came about 1/3 of the way through the book. I did not like the character of Porta, which you are not supposed to like her, she is the "bad guy". The problem was at times I felt such disgust towards this woman that I thought I would put the book down. The other characters were what pulled me through. But I think Ms. Healy accomplished something here - a truly bad, "bad guy". I can't recall in any recent books where I had that strong of a dislike towards a character and I read suspense and serial killer books. Porta just did not sit right with me as a human being. One thing I did like was that Ms. Healy could have made her a stereotype of witches, but she did not, she used another friend of Porta's who was a wiccan also as a foil to show that this group is not made up of bad people, and that Porta is the one bad seed that can make others look bad. This friend also wanted to help Porta and I liked the friend, but still could find nothing redeeming in Porta. Porta is the only thing I really did not like in the book.
The supernatural elements of the plot were interesting. And the linking together of Chase, Chelsea, Promise, Porta and Zack was very well-done. The good and evil were very obvious and the parallels to the story of Jesus and his sacrifice were very evident. Ms. Healy does a great job mixing the Christian element into the book without appearing preachy. It's just natural and it's just there.
All-in-all, The Promises She Keeps is a book that will stay with you after you read it. It is one you need to absorb when you finish and the beauty of the story starts to come to life the more you think about it. This one really makes you think and I love the polarization of good and evil. So many times the evil comes out kind of ho-hum, that is not the case in this book. If you haven't read Ms. Healy before, I highly recommend this one, it has suspense, love, good and evil and a storyline that won't let you put the book down.
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book. So read on and find out what I mean. And please do read on because I need you to understand that I truly love this book even though I did have a strong dislike reaction at one point. Also, please remember that this is just my subjective opinion.What did I like? Ms. Healy can writes an amazing book and did with The Promises She Keeps, her writing just flows and describes things so well without being wordy. I loved Promise, Chase, and Chelsea. Wonderful characters. I was fascinated by the fact that the main character in this novel, Promise has Cystic Fibrosis. My nephew has Cystic Fibrosis and 6 years ago we had no idea what that disease entailed, and only knew that it existed from the yearly telethon on tv. Now we do know about it and from what I read in this book Ms. Healy did her research well or she knows someone with CF. Promise is an amazing character and I welcome this book to educate so many others about this disease and help understand that each year that CF research is funded that people are helping extend CF patient's life. 20 years ago the life expectancy was in the teens, now it is in the 30s. Wow - that is pretty amazing.
Another main character, Chase, is autistic and I loved the look into his life and his mannerisms and the life of his twin sister, Chelsea who is his primary caretaker. These two were fascinating characters and I enjoyed reading about them just as much as Promise. Chase is just amazing, his drawings sound beautiful and his dedication to God is just beautiful. Chelsea's dedication to Chase is also awe-inspiring. She sacrifices everything to do what she can for him and that is a beautiful quality in a person.
The plot kept me entranced, I kept turning the pages to see what happened next and I read the last 200 pages in one sitting - that is how involved I was in the book. Ms. Healy does a marvelous job building up the tension without making it too intense. You can kind of see where the book is going, but that doesn't hurt how you read the book because you still don't know how it will get there and the ending is still a surprise.
My moment of dislike (and this is a personal opinion) came about 1/3 of the way through the book. I did not like the character of Porta, which you are not supposed to like her, she is the "bad guy". The problem was at times I felt such disgust towards this woman that I thought I would put the book down. The other characters were what pulled me through. But I think Ms. Healy accomplished something here - a truly bad, "bad guy". I can't recall in any recent books where I had that strong of a dislike towards a character and I read suspense and serial killer books. Porta just did not sit right with me as a human being. One thing I did like was that Ms. Healy could have made her a stereotype of witches, but she did not, she used another friend of Porta's who was a wiccan also as a foil to show that this group is not made up of bad people, and that Porta is the one bad seed that can make others look bad. This friend also wanted to help Porta and I liked the friend, but still could find nothing redeeming in Porta. Porta is the only thing I really did not like in the book.
The supernatural elements of the plot were interesting. And the linking together of Chase, Chelsea, Promise, Porta and Zack was very well-done. The good and evil were very obvious and the parallels to the story of Jesus and his sacrifice were very evident. Ms. Healy does a great job mixing the Christian element into the book without appearing preachy. It's just natural and it's just there.
All-in-all, The Promises She Keeps is a book that will stay with you after you read it. It is one you need to absorb when you finish and the beauty of the story starts to come to life the more you think about it. This one really makes you think and I love the polarization of good and evil. So many times the evil comes out kind of ho-hum, that is not the case in this book. If you haven't read Ms. Healy before, I highly recommend this one, it has suspense, love, good and evil and a storyline that won't let you put the book down.
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LibraryThing member TheyCallMeVarmit
The Promises She Keeps was the first book I have read by Erin Healy, a respected and award-winning editor and co-author, and I found it to be a very unique storyline involving subjects such as death, witchery, and the meaning of love and life eternal.
Every character seems to have their own personal
The one character I liked the most was Porta, because of how well written she was. I couldn't relate to her on a personal level, but she was very cold blooded and hateful, and a character unlike one you'd often see in a Christian fiction. This book had just the right dosage of suspense; I wasn't on the edge of my seat, but I did fly through the pages during certain passages, anxious to see what happened next.
The author has done her homework on those who suffer with CF, as well as those with Autism and with Chase particularly, I noticed similarities with habits between him and Autistic people I know personally. This book, though a fiction, gave insight to what both he and Promise go through.
This book was easy to read after the first few pages, and was enjoyable throughout. It was a bit darker than I expected thanks to Porta's character, but enjoyable nonetheless. I would have no qualms about recommending this book.
Every character seems to have their own personal
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demons to battle or obstacle to overcome, and it gives them a depth that I wasn't expecting. It makes them endearing, in a way. This in no way takes from the storyline, however. If anything, it enriches it.The one character I liked the most was Porta, because of how well written she was. I couldn't relate to her on a personal level, but she was very cold blooded and hateful, and a character unlike one you'd often see in a Christian fiction. This book had just the right dosage of suspense; I wasn't on the edge of my seat, but I did fly through the pages during certain passages, anxious to see what happened next.
The author has done her homework on those who suffer with CF, as well as those with Autism and with Chase particularly, I noticed similarities with habits between him and Autistic people I know personally. This book, though a fiction, gave insight to what both he and Promise go through.
This book was easy to read after the first few pages, and was enjoyable throughout. It was a bit darker than I expected thanks to Porta's character, but enjoyable nonetheless. I would have no qualms about recommending this book.
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LibraryThing member melaniehope
Promise is a college student with singing aspirations. However, she has a cystic fibrosis and is not expected to live past her mid-thirties. She therefore wants to leave a legacy of fame behind to keep her memory alive. Porta is an aging sorceress and art collector who is searching for immortality.
We are also introduced to Chase, an autistic artist who falls in love with Promise and attempts to help her. Soon Chase, Porta, Promise and several other interesting characters are thrown into a confrontation of finding hope and faith.
I really liked this book. It was a faith based thriller that really seemed to become suspenseful towards the end of the story. The beginning of the book focuses a lot of time and attention to introducing us to Promise and to the other characters. I did not like the character of Porta. She was the definite "villian" in the novel, but it sometimes was annoying to read the passages by her. I also disliked Zack even though Promise seemed to always see the hope within him. The author seemed to be trying to share that eternal love, not life, may be the greatest gift of all. Twists and turns at the end of the book made for a really good read and I'm glad I had a chance to read this.
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When Promise survives a series of bizarre accidents that should have ended her life, Porta believes that she has found the girl who holds the key to eternal life.We are also introduced to Chase, an autistic artist who falls in love with Promise and attempts to help her. Soon Chase, Porta, Promise and several other interesting characters are thrown into a confrontation of finding hope and faith.
I really liked this book. It was a faith based thriller that really seemed to become suspenseful towards the end of the story. The beginning of the book focuses a lot of time and attention to introducing us to Promise and to the other characters. I did not like the character of Porta. She was the definite "villian" in the novel, but it sometimes was annoying to read the passages by her. I also disliked Zack even though Promise seemed to always see the hope within him. The author seemed to be trying to share that eternal love, not life, may be the greatest gift of all. Twists and turns at the end of the book made for a really good read and I'm glad I had a chance to read this.
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LibraryThing member mrsjason
This book seemed to be written differently from other Christian fiction books that I have read. It's a unique read that might not gel with all Christian fiction readers but those that do enjoy it will so very much. The story seems to focus on five characters: Promise - a young girl with cystic
There is an autistic character in the story who plays a big role in the plot. His character is very blunt at times with the statements he makes. It got a bit frustrating at times because while people got angry with him to the point of violence, no one ever really sat down to talk with him about the things he was saying. His words end up being prophetic which can be a bit scary at times when what he says becomes reality. I felt a bit sorry for his sister because as his twin, she feels obligated to give up her life to take care of him.
I walked away from the book having some mixed feelings. On one hand, I felt the story to be written well. Healy's writing has literary fiction touches in it mixed in with the suspense and speculative elements blending together nicely. On the other hand, I was a bit disappointed with how everything turned out in the story for the characters. I didn't feel as if all the characters truly understood what was going on with all the events in their lives. I felt that parties were missing important info from the other side and never fully got a grasp of the whole picture. I got really annoyed at the treatment Promise had to endure for something that wasn't her fault at all. It's a tricky situation because I liked the story yet I felt there was just something missing. I've read Healy's previous works with Ted Dekker and liked them. I still think I will continue to read her other works because I did like her style of writing.
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fibrosis, Porta - an older woman who wants to live forever, Zack - a young artist with connections between the two women, Chase - an autistic man, and Chelsea - his twin sister who has devoted her life to taking care of him. These five characters soon find their lives intertwined in ways that they didn't see coming. Promise has lived her entire life expecting to die young due to her condition. Suddenly events keep happening that seemingly prolong her life and even seem as if she is being healed. This news gets around to Porta who wants to find out more about Promise and the secrets that she holds.There is an autistic character in the story who plays a big role in the plot. His character is very blunt at times with the statements he makes. It got a bit frustrating at times because while people got angry with him to the point of violence, no one ever really sat down to talk with him about the things he was saying. His words end up being prophetic which can be a bit scary at times when what he says becomes reality. I felt a bit sorry for his sister because as his twin, she feels obligated to give up her life to take care of him.
I walked away from the book having some mixed feelings. On one hand, I felt the story to be written well. Healy's writing has literary fiction touches in it mixed in with the suspense and speculative elements blending together nicely. On the other hand, I was a bit disappointed with how everything turned out in the story for the characters. I didn't feel as if all the characters truly understood what was going on with all the events in their lives. I felt that parties were missing important info from the other side and never fully got a grasp of the whole picture. I got really annoyed at the treatment Promise had to endure for something that wasn't her fault at all. It's a tricky situation because I liked the story yet I felt there was just something missing. I've read Healy's previous works with Ted Dekker and liked them. I still think I will continue to read her other works because I did like her style of writing.
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LibraryThing member TheBloggingBook
Promise has horrible luck. All in 25 days she fell off a cliff, got ran over by a car, got electrocuted, and trapped in a basement that was on fire. On top of that she has Cystic Fibrosis. She doesn't expect to live long, but she doesn't have a death wish either. This was an odd book, I still don't
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understand the meaning behind it. I know it was supposed to have an inspiring message in it but I didn't catch it. It left me with more questions than I began with. I get angry with books when the characters don't do something I think they should do, like ask questions or listen to what people are saying. There were too many secrets, the reader kind of knew what was going on, but the characters were to stubborn to listen. Over all it was a pretty good book. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheWiserWay
The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy is a beautifully written novel filled with suspense, courage, and intrigue.
The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy is another incredible work! As with all of the novels I have read from this author thus far, this book manages to unravel a compassionate and
Erin Healy's sensitive writing and delicate handling of the challenges a person living with Autism deal with on daily basis sheds light into the diagnosis in a candid way. In addition, the main character suffers with a disabling diagnosis of cystic fibrosis and Healy also brings information to the reader about the reality of this illness.
How author, Erin Healy manages to combine a believable fiction thriller with authentic characters living with modern day problems never ceases to amaze me. The Promises She Keeps merges hope, love, and perseverance all into one fast lane. It gracefully touches the fragile issue of our own mortality. This piece stirred within my soul a reflection of a purpose for life reaching far beyond myself; it revealed a focus to serve others and bring them the gift of connection through a simple smile and a kind word. I'm confident you will enjoy this read!
The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy is another incredible work! As with all of the novels I have read from this author thus far, this book manages to unravel a compassionate and
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mysterious story line in tandem with factual information that is applicable to our society. Through Erin's creative mind, she provides the reader with an in-depth look into the life of both a person suffering with cystic fibrosis and the challenges of living and relating to a person with Autism.Erin Healy's sensitive writing and delicate handling of the challenges a person living with Autism deal with on daily basis sheds light into the diagnosis in a candid way. In addition, the main character suffers with a disabling diagnosis of cystic fibrosis and Healy also brings information to the reader about the reality of this illness.
How author, Erin Healy manages to combine a believable fiction thriller with authentic characters living with modern day problems never ceases to amaze me. The Promises She Keeps merges hope, love, and perseverance all into one fast lane. It gracefully touches the fragile issue of our own mortality. This piece stirred within my soul a reflection of a purpose for life reaching far beyond myself; it revealed a focus to serve others and bring them the gift of connection through a simple smile and a kind word. I'm confident you will enjoy this read!
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