Book Of The Month For October 2014: House of Living Stones

House of Living Stones by Katie Schuermann

2014 / Paperback / 352 Pages

Overview

In the small Illinois town of Bradbury, change doesn’t come often, and it certainly doesn’t come easily. So when Pastor Fletcher hires Emily Duke as the new choir director at Zion Lutheran Church, he unknowingly sets in motion a chain of events that turns the life of his congregation upside down.The crusty church secretary, Mrs. Scheinberg, must learn to adjust her curmudgeonly ways. Zion’s talented but pompous organist, Evan Ebner, must recognize his shortcomings. Emily must come to terms with her past. Even Pastor Fletcher must face reality when his world is shaken by the baggage Emily brings and by the handsome Zachary Brandt who pursues her.With its host of lovable and relatable characters, House of Living Stones will find a special place on your bookshelf and in your heart.

A Peek Inside

Praise for House of Living Stones

“House of Living Stones is an absolute delight! How refreshing it is to read for pleasure and then find it to be also wonderfully edifying time spent. This is Mitford plus . . . where Schuermann brings the reader into the joys and some serious challenges of a small town parish in a town called Bradbury. You will love the writing, the story line, the characters, and the humor. But I believe what truly excels here is this writer’s love for and understanding of God’s grace for all and what that boundless grace means in day to day living. Sit down with some Chamomile or Merlot . . . read and enjoy!”  Richard C. Resch; Kantor and Professor Emeritus, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne IN

“House of Living Stones is a delightful Lutheran homage to Anne of Green Gables, complete with colorful characters who break the eighth commandment like pros, a heroine both sinner and saint, and a portrait of small-town life that reads like a caricature but is all too real. Katie Schuermann's writing elevates 'ordinary' church life to the extraordinary, alternating whimsical hilarity with poignant real-life-under-the-cross moments that will have you laughing, crying, and wanting more of Emily Duke, Pastor Fletcher, and the whole Zion Lutheran gang.”  Gretchen Roberts; Digital marketer, pastor's wife, nearly lifelong Lutheran, avid reader of fiction, Anne of Green Gables fan

 “Schuermann builds the reader’s affections for the characters in such a way that you should not be surprised to find yourself including some of these blessed souls into your own daily prayers, only to remember, embarrassingly, that these are not real souls at all. And yet, they are very real. The widows, the mother hens, the lonely singles, the gossips, the meddlers, the jilted—they are all around us, in our congregations, our families, and in our own personalities. The names and faces are different, but the sins and the robe of righteousness that cover us all are the same. . . . Readers will finish the last chapter of House of Living Stones with higher expectations and craving more.” Rebecca Mayes; Wife, mother, blogger, author

About the Author

Katie Schuermann's "earthy and joyful" voice is as refreshing and invigorating as the Midwestern sunshine in which she was raised. Writing in vignettes which so perfectly suit the charm of small town life, Schuermann's words call to mind the warmth and realism of Montgomery's Avonlea and Herriot's Yorkshire countryside.

Always leaning toward the arts, Schuermann earned graduate degrees in music. Her professional experiences are as varied and eclectic as any writer's, ranging from walking beans to singing with a Baroque orchestra to directing children's musical theater camps. No doubt, Schuermann's cornfield roots and curriculum vitae factor heavily into her writing, but it is her Lutheran confession of faith in the Triune God which readers have come to expect and trust in Schuermann's prose.