Finding Our Way Home

Written by Charlene Baumbich

Narrated by Melissa Hurst

The inspirational fiction of Charlene Ann Baumbich delivers rays of hope and generous helpings of humor. Finding Our Way Home is a tale of unlikely friendship - and of the profound impact people can have on the lives of others. After principal ballerina Sasha Davis injures herself and sees her career come to an all-too-sudden end, she hopes to find some measure of solace in her Minnesota hometown. Realizing she needs more help than she'd like to admit, Sasha hires a live-in aide - and both their lives are forever changed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781464048760

Reviews for Finding Our Way Home

[kblinn_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Baumbich has written another enjoyable entry in her Snowglobe series. Thirty-seven-year-old prima ballera Sasha Davis has suffered a career-ending injury in the arms of her husband. She has returned to her hometown of Wanonishaw, MN to recuperate in her childhood home, which she inherited upon her mother's recent death. She hires nineteen-year-old Evelyn Burt to be her caregiver. Evelyn is engaged to Jorden and has fallen out with her parents as a result of this romance and her failure to go college. The intertwining of the relationships of all of these characters forms the meat of the book. Evelyn is a wonderful, lively young woman who initially thinks she has life figured out. I had a hard time remembering that Sasha was only thirty-seven because she seemed so old-acting. Although marketed as a Christian novel by a Christian publisher, there is little overt mention of religion in the book. The prayer "Grace" uttered first by Evelyn and later by Sasha is the meat of the message, and a powerful message it is. A very enjoyable read.

[jkj94 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was my first book that I have ever read in this series and this was the third book in the series, so I felt like I was catching up a bit at first, but not for long. I fell right into this book and got into the characters rather quickly. I enjoyed this book immensely. I felt like I could relate to Sasha and the feelings she has as she deals with her disability, because I am also disabled, so this book was bittersweet for me.

It was also very inspirational for me so it was really hard to put it down. I found myself relating to both Evelyn and Sasha. This is a story of second chances, love, hope, unusual friendships and God’s grace. I would recommend this book to everyone, no matter your religion, it will make you laugh in one chapter and cry in the next. It is a very heartwarming and uplifting story that I don’t think anyone will be able to forget.

[sara5edens · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Charlene Ann Baumbich is an inspirational author with over 20 years’ experience in writing and speaking. She uses humor to make points and inspiration to touch her reader. Here is my view of her Finding Our Way Home novel.The first couple of pages grabbed my attention and empathy for this woman who was obviously injured. The injuries were not only physical, but spiritual. Sasha Davis was a premier ballerina who had been injured while she was dancing. The injury was permanent to her career. Moving back to her childhood home, she realizes she must have help, live-in help. She hires Evelyn Burt, her polar opposite.Evelyn Burt is large, where Sasha is small. She is capable of, it seems, anything and everything, unlike Sasha. Evelyn enjoys life, even when facing her own personal problems. She happily moves in with Sasha when her parents are opposed to her fiancé, giving them all space to breathe. She takes something broken, such as the fry pan, and turns it into a thing of beauty and life. The relationship between these two women, and the path to their own individual needs and happiness, is ridden with sadness, discovery, happiness, enlightenment, and a spiritual healing that gave this reader a sense of well-being. These two unlikely companions find a place where they can find the grace they’re seeking. That path, however, is not always an easy path.I give this a 5 of 5 stars, and look forward to the next book by Charlene Ann Baumbich.DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for an honest review.

[khiemstra631 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Baumbich has written another enjoyable entry in her Snowglobe series. Thirty-seven-year-old prima ballera Sasha Davis has suffered a career-ending injury in the arms of her husband. She has returned to her hometown of Wanonishaw, MN to recuperate in her childhood home, which she inherited upon her mother's recent death. She hires nineteen-year-old Evelyn Burt to be her caregiver. Evelyn is engaged to Jorden and has fallen out with her parents as a result of this romance and her failure to go college. The intertwining of the relationships of all of these characters forms the meat of the book. Evelyn is a wonderful, lively young woman who initially thinks she has life figured out. I had a hard time remembering that Sasha was only thirty-seven because she seemed so old-acting. Although marketed as a Christian novel by a Christian publisher, there is little overt mention of religion in the book. The prayer "Grace" uttered first by Evelyn and later by Sasha is the meat of the message, and a powerful message it is. A very enjoyable read.

[decemberjoy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Finding Our Way Home takes place in a small town in Wanonishaw, Minnesota where Sasha Davis, a well known and exalted ballerina, has decided to pick up the pieces of her broken life. Her career came to a crashing end when she suffered an injury during one of her performances. To make matters worse, the injury happened when she was dancing with her partner and husband, Donald Major. Although she is aware of Donald’s innocence in the accident, she still can’t bear to have him see her in such a state; mostly when his career is still going strong, and so she separates herself from him. Her only helper in recovering is the new aide she has hired, Evelyn. Evelyn is a young nineteen year old whose positive attitude becomes a major encouragement to Sasha. As their friendship grows, Sasha discovers that life is more than ballet but after all she has put her husband through, will he even talk to her again?Although I liked the overall message of this book, I wasn’t drawn into the story as much as I would of liked. I think part of the reason was the characters. I never really connected with them or their story and as much as I wanted to be part of their world and experiences, I never truly was. Somehow they just never fully engaged me or felt real enough which made the 300+ pages seem to long for the story being shared. As for the lessons in the book; overcoming obstacles, receiving and giving grace, trusting others, and learning to forgive – they were all woven into the story and are worthwhile practices we can all learn and grow from, but they were more told to the reader than discovered.Since this book has a good moral fiber, I would recommend this book to any teenage reader or older. The story is geared towards women as the two main characters are women but there are also a few men mentioned in the book, although I would still categorize this as a woman’s read.If you are interested in reading a preview before purchasing the book, you can view an excerpt on WaterBrook’s product page – Finding Our Way Home excerpt.Now for the original cover art of the book. The book cover on the left is the cover seen on the reading copy I received. This is my preference from the blue one pictured above. I wish I had a larger copy to share so you can see more of the details, but there are a few subtle changes between the two – more than just the color. Maybe you prefer the blue?************************************Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”