Prayers for Sale: A Novel

Written by Sandra Dallas

Narrated by Maggi-Meg Reed

Hennie Comfort is eighty-six and has lived in the mountains of Middle Swan, Colorado since before it was Colorado. Nit Spindle is just seventeen and newly married. She and her husband have just moved to the high country in search of work. It's 1936 and the depression has ravaged the country and Nit and her husband have suffered greatly. Hennie notices the young woman loitering near the old sign outside of her house that promises "Prayers For Sale". Hennie doesn't sell prayers, never has, but there's something about the young woman that she's drawn to. The harsh conditions of life that each have endured create an instant bond and an unlikely friendship is formed, one in which the deepest of hardships are shared and the darkest of secrets are confessed.
Sandra Dallas has created an unforgettable tale of a friendship between two women, one with surprising twists and turns, and one that is ultimately a revelation of the finest parts of the human spirit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Apr 14, 2009
• ISBN: 9781427206169

Sandra Dallas

SANDRA DALLAS, dubbed “a quintessential American voice” by Jane Smiley in Vogue Magazine, is the author of over a dozen novels, including Little Souls and Where Coyotes Howl, many translated into a dozen languages and optioned for films. Six-time winner of the Willa Award and four-time winner of the Spur Award, Dallas was a Business Week reporter for 35 years, and began writing fiction in 1990. She has two daughters and lives with her husband in Denver and Georgetown, Colorado.

Reviews for Prayers for Sale

[nittnut · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this story of women in a Colorado mining town. Hennie is one of the oldest and longest-term residents of Middle Swan. The story is set during the Great Depression. Hennie is welcoming a young married woman, Nit, whose husband has been hired to work on the gold dredge. She helps Nit understand the people and the town by telling her stories. The stories were interesting, the characters very believable, and the ending just right. In Prayers for Sale, just as in other books by Sandra Dallas, the women are shown to be the backbone of their community. They aren't perfect, but they are strong and determined. It's one of my favorite things about her books.

[coppers_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a sweet and gentle story of the developing friendship between two women, one at the beginning of her life and the other reaching the end. It takes place in 1936, in a remote Colorado mining town. Through the stories the women tell, we learn of their lives and experiences. There are some interesting historical tidbits included and the author?s notes tell us that Middle Swan is based on early Breckenridge. It?s easy to picture that lovely town in its youthful, pre-ski heyday. I?ve read all of Sandra Dallas? novels and have never been disappointed. She weaves together quick, entertaining stories of strong, likable women. And this time, she?s even managed to incorporate some characters from her earlier books.

[pennsylady · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The year is 1936 in a Colorado gold mining town.86 yr old Henny Comfort,with a lifetime of stories to tell and 17-year-old Nit Splindler (a newcomer) meet.A long forgotten "Prayers For Sale" sign provides the backdrop for their meeting.They bond and teach us what community meant in Middle Swan Colo, in depression times.Joys, sorrow and secrets are carefully revealed.Mountain wisdom and quilting lore further bond the reader to them.Heartwarming!A worthwhile read!F2F group April....rereading

[melopher_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Smoothly written, simple in words yet full of meaning. This is a heartwarming story of older lady in a 1930's mining town who tries to deal with the fact that her life is in it's closing act.

[donna828 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At one point in her life, 86-year-old Hennie Comfort was so satisfied with her lot that she had leftover prayers to sell. Her husband made a sign to that effect, but no one took it seriously until a 17-year-old newcomer to Middle Swan, CO, asked for prayers for her stillborn baby. Hennie does more than pray. She befriends Nit Spindle. They quilt together as Hennie relives her colorful past through the stories she shares. A simple book with simple charm.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Audio book read by Maggi-Meg Reed2.5**The novel is set in a small Colorado mining town, high in the Rockies, during the Depression-era. Hennie Comfort is an 86-year-old widow who has lived in Middle Swan since shortly after the Civil War. 17-year-old Nit Spindle is newly arrived with her husband from Kentucky. The young girl sees a sign in Hennie’s yard – “Prayers for Sale” – and gets the courage to ask for a prayer. Thus begins a friendship, and the old woman’s mission to get the young girl settled before Hennie “goes below” to live with her daughter in Iowa.In the course of the novel Hennie tells Nit a lot of stories of the old days in the mining town. We learn what happened to Hennie back in Tennessee, what brought her to Colorado, how gold is mined, and the role in the town’s history of the “soiled doves” who work at The Willow House. We also know that Hennie has a secret that “prickles her heart;” we know this because Dallas tells us – far too frequently – that Hennie has to take care of this business before she can go to her daughter’s in Iowa.Dallas does a pretty good job of painting the picture of the early Colorado mining settlement through Hennie’s stories. Dallas has a way with dialogue and with incorporating terms and phrases that are appropriate to the time and place. This lends an air of authenticity to her works, and helps to put the reader in the setting. It also gives a very personal feel to the story; you really do feel as if Hennie is sitting at your kitchen table, sharing coffee and cake, and telling you about her life. I wish she had left this as a short story collection.Flashback is a useful technique; when employed with skill it keeps the story moving forward while explaining the past. I think that’s what Dallas was trying to do here. I heard an author interview in which Dallas said she started out writing a series of short stories. That original collection did have some connecting threads in that the same old woman was telling all the stories. But her agent insisted that this was a book … as long as Dallas fleshed out the story arch for the “modern” part of the story. So that’s what Dallas did – or attempted to do; she doesn’t quite succeed. The result is that the “current’ story arch, which explores Hennie’s final year in Middle Swan as she befriends Nit, seems to not have enough attention paid to it. The plot points at the end seem rushed and inconsistent because we haven’t had enough information about the current-day characters to naturally lead us to these happenings. And telling us over and over that Hennie has a secret did nothing to build suspense (which I assume was the author’s intent), it just annoyed me. I’ve been a fan of Sandra Dallas’s writing for quite a while, but this is clearly not her best effort.Maggi-Meg Reed’s performance on the audio book was not to my liking. Her pace was far too slow and everyone (including Nit) sounded like an old woman. As it is presented 2.5 stars rounded down to 2.

[dara85 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was one of the best Sandra Dallas books I have read.

[Patty · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It speaks to the heart of how America got to where it is today. History, passed down and mixed with the crafts that inherently go with them. Very sweet.

[kblinn_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've liked every book I have read written by Sandra Dallas, and this one was no exception. It's the life story of Hennie Comfort, an 86-year-old woman, who lives on the backbone of the Rockies. It's gold mining country in the late 1930's. Hennie befriends newcomer to town, Nit, and proceeds to tell her stories from the span of her life. These stories are full of unexpected twists and turns. It's a delightful book that will not disappoint.

[nancynova · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set at the end of Hennie's life in Ten Mile Colorado, through her telling of stories to newcomer teenage wife Nit Spindle, you get a good idea of the past 70 years of Hennie's life. Quite a good turn that Hennie agrees to marry Tom and live in Chicago in the winter, instead of moving in with her adopted daughter Mae in Iowa.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsIt’s 1936 in a small gold mining town in the Colorado Rockies. 86-year old Hennie has lived here for 70 years. When a new young woman moves to town, Hennie befriends her, as she knows it will take time for most people to accept the newcomer to town, especially when they think her husband has taken a job away from a local. Hennie is one for telling stories, so she keeps Nit entertained with stories of her background when and why she moved from the South (as did Nit and her husband), and more about Hennie’s own life and stories about some of the happenings around town over the years. Unfortunately, Hennie’s daughter wants Hennie to move “down” (off the mountain), as she worries with Hennie living alone in a dangerous place. I enjoyed this. There was a lot about quilting, which is something I have never done, but I bet people who do quilt would appreciate that in this book. Leaned a bit about gold mining, as well (one thing - I’d never heard of dredging; I guess I’ve read more about the gold rush and panning for gold). There was one unexpected turn at the end (I see other reviews tell me there was lots of (too much!) foreshadowing about something, but somehow I managed to miss that!). Overall, this was enjoyable.

[stevelindahl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Prayers for Sale is a series of short stories linked together with a book length narrative about the relationship between two women living in the Colorado mountains during the gold rush years. One of the women is 86 and has lived in Middle Swan for many years. The other is a young woman who has just moved to the small mountain town with her husband. The younger is lonely and needs a friend, while the older needs someone who is interested in hearing the stories of her life. Both women have experienced similar tragedies and have a need to share the pain.The book's strength is in Sandra Dallas' ability to capture life among the women of this small nineteenth century town: their language, their quilting, their gossiping, their society class levels, and the way they forget all these things to help each other during hard times. The plot that unifies the story is a little spotty, with elements that are introduced, then forgotten, then brought back in ways that could have been handled better. Also, the overall narrative doesn't come into its own until the end of the book.Steve Lindahl – author of Under a Warped Cross, Hopatcong Vision Quest, White Horse Regressions, and Motherless Soul.

[nurse73 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very enjoyable read mingling two women from opposite generations. Despite their differences they share a genuine soul- sharing friendship.

[anitatally · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was just like Persian Pickle Club, but not as good. I enjoyed the characters, but the plot was silly and full of too many coincidences.

[donnab317 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This felt like a series of short stories that had been crafted into a novel (which it was), but it was done very nicely and over-all is was a nice read.

[nyiper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The audio cover had a picture of ...Hennie! This was, as the interview with the author mentioned at the end, a book of story telling/sharing, something quilters do---and that CDs makes perfect listening for quilters, or, for anything where your hands are working on a project. I liked it enough that I'm curious about her other novels.

[pmaurer_11 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Series of short stories, wrapped into a novel. Set in small mining town in Colorado, it brings together Henny, the older woman and Nit, a young impressionable woman, during the depression. Henny coaches Nit on how to survive in the tough environment as Henny prepares to reluctantly move to her daughters. Easy listening, although I prefer some of this authors other tales.

[sugarcreekranch · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I picked this up because I'd very much enjoyed Sandra Dallas' [Tallgrass]. But I didn't like this one as much.This book reads like a bunch of short stories cobbled together to form a novel. The stories are entertaining, but the novel surrounding them is not. I got very weary of reading about quilting (do these women do NOTHING else?), and of stilted conversations whose main purpose was to lead to "I will tell you a story...".

[2lz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An interesting and enjoyable story about a friendship that develops between an elderly woman and a young newly married girl.

[thoughtsofjoylibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hennie Comfort and Nit Spindle find themselves in the mining town of Middle Swan, Colorado during the depression. Hennie, who is an older woman and has lived in Middle Swan for decades, befriends newcomer Nit as she settles in with her husband in a home nearby. As the two become acquainted Hennie shares her knowledge of the town and eventually her life stories.Hennie tells numerous stories - each being unique and interesting. They focused on her family, the townspeople, and general experiences throughout her lifetime which included some twists and turns. She was a nice and proper character of that time period. The charm of the book was in the present day (in the book) as we watch the friendship grow between Hennie and Nit. Quilting and mining played an important role as well.Even with the stories being interesting, I got tired of, "Would you like to hear a story?" Other than that, no major complaints - it was good. Sandra Dallas does a great job depicting the timeframe in her stories.Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy

[csailin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved the book......rich in details, twists and turns.........totally unexpected twist in the end.......I did not see it coming.I recommend it highy

[dgmlrhodes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nice story about the friendship of two women in a mining town. Overall the boom had a nice message and wholesome story.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This charming homespun novel is filled with down-home tales that naturally emerge as the friendship between newly-arrived Nit and long-time resident Hennie develops. The language Sandra Dallas uses is perhaps even more interesting than the plot of the novel. The reader becomes part of this gold-mining community and has a vested interest in their happiness. While tragedy can happen to everyone, there is still an overall feeling of contentment and fulfillment, and happiness could be just around the corner.

[tammystith · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've never read a book by Sandra Dallas, but if all her books are like this style, I will be buying all she has written.I really fell into the story, I was pulled in from the 1st chapter.Also I enjoy a good story teller and Hennie was one to put them out there. She befriends a newbie to the mountains (a young grieving girl, Nit) and they bond instantly. Hennie and Nit have something in common, their (1st)child dyed at a very young age. Hennie's 2nd daughter has insisted that Hennie cannot stay another winter by herself in the mountain and has asked her to move to Denver to live with her. Hennie doesn't want to leave the mountain place she has known for 60 years. Hennie has been widowed for more that 30 years but has a good friend Tom that has been there for her since the death of her husband Jake. Tom has a love for Hennie that she never knew, Tom asks her to travel the world with him and to marry him. Hennie says yes! But before she leaves the mountain with Tom theres something she must due, she must forgive a man that had let her child die in a river, the very hardest part after all these years is to forgive this man, but she does and a whole lifes burden has been lifted. Hennie is ready leave the mountain and start a new life with Tom and travel the world she has always dreamed.

[njmom3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed the first half of the book - the characters, the stories, the setting, and the "feel" created by the author. However, later in the book, it seemed to become somewhat monotonous and seemed to drag on. Another situation - another story. I still really liked the characters though.

[jbaker614 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is by far one of the better books I've read over the past couple of months and will definitely be one of my favorites. This was also the first book that I’ve read that was written by Sandra Dallas and I expect to read more of her work for she has mastered the art of storytelling as far as I’m concerned.This is a story of 2 women (86 year old Hennie Comfort and 17 year old Nit Spindle) who develop an unlikely friendship after the younger of the two arrives in Colorado from Kentucky, accompanying her husband who is looking for work in the gold mines. Hennie, twice a widow, was originally from Tennessee but has lived in Middle Swan, Colorado for 70+ years and is faced with eventually moving to Iowa so her daughter can take care of her.The elderly Hennie takes Nit under her wings and a beautiful friendship develops as Hennie loves to tell a story (and she has plenty of them to tell) so they share stories as they quilt or visit throughout the day. In addition to both being from the south, early on in their friendship they learn that they have both lost a child. This creates a special bond between the women for Hennie understands the grief that young Nit is feeling as she arrives in Colorado.As time passes and Nit becomes pregnant, Hennie is determined to get Nit and her husband acclimated to the hard and dangerous work that goes along with working in the gold dredges, before her scheduled departure from Middle Swan so she can be with her daughter. Also, Hennie realizes that she has to settle a ‘secret’ that has left her troubled over the years which is not revealed until the final pages.This novel is loaded with tenderness, sharing, sweetness, laughter and yes, some tears.Here are some of my favorite passages from Prayers for Sales that made me chuckle and put a smile on my face: “I’m rougher than a cow’s tongue when it comes to quilting.” “He was as handsome as a hog.” “You’re as mean as a striped snake.” “My tongue’s been going like a clapper in a cowbell.” “Some folks called him Vinegar Joe, on account of he was so sour. He was a sooty-looking man, a complainer, and as hard as a pine knot.” “… for he smelled worse than beaver bait.” “…she’d have dried out like a marsh marigold.” “But I’m as slow as rising cream.” “…he was mad enough to chew splinters.” “The girl was as skinny yet as a plucked porcupine.” “Sometimes the young girl and old woman seemed like slices from the same loaf of bread.”

[catien_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is approximately the 1930s. Hennie Comfort is 86 years old and has lived almost 70 of those years in Middle Swan, Colorado, a gold-mining town in the Rocky Mountains. But this is going to be her last year in the mountain town that she loves because Hennie's daughter Mae worries about her during the harsh winters and has convinced Hennie to come live with her in Iowa. Enter Nit Spindle, a 16-year-old newlywed who has just moved to Middle Swan with her husband Dick from Tennessee. Nit is scared and nervous about moving to a new state and town and depressed over a recent miscarriage, and Hennie sees this as her final project before she leaves town. Hennie helps Nit in many ways, but one of those is by telling her stories of funny and sad things that have happened to Hennie and to other residents of Middle Swan over the past 70 years. This is a lovely book that was fun to read with interesting asides about mining and living and surviving in the Rocky Mountains before there was an Interstate 70!

[steverambach · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Don't read it unless you want to sit and read something mindless. If you want nothingness this is a great choice for you!!!

[aleahmarie_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hennie Comfort is hard pressed to leave the small mining town of Middle Swan, Colorado -- her home of over 70 years. But her daughter, Mae, can't stop worrying after her and Mrs. Comfort is finally convinced to join her daughter in Iowa. Mrs. Comfort is heart broken about leaving Middle Swan when she still has so many stories to share.In her final year in Middle Swan Mrs. Comfort befriends a new resident to the mining town, a naive young wisp of a girl from Tennessee named Nit. Mrs. Comfort sees a lot of herself in Nit and the two become fast friends. 'Prayers for Sale' is told at an easy pace as Mrs. Comfort shares stories with Nit that are as colorful as the quilts she pieces together. A gentle read with enough surprises to keep you hooked until the end.

[kimaoverstreet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From Prayers for Sale's first few pages, I was hooked! The rest of the book did not disappoint. This story of Hennie, an aging widow, and Nit, a newly relocated teen bride; their mining town; their friends; and their quilting is charming. Sandra Dallas uses historical detail to show the harsh reality of life in a mining town during the Great Depression, interlaced the sort of stories known to women in all times and places. I will definitely be recommending Prayers for Sale to my friends!