Elderberry Croft

The Complete Collection

Christian - Fiction
359 Pages
Reviewed on 02/16/2014
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Becky Doughty was raised on the mission field among the indigenous tribes of West Papua. Her calling, however, is to be a different kind of missionary; her ministry is through her pen. Becky's heart is for people living on the edge–that fine line where grace becomes truly amazing. She writes about hope. Not necessarily about happily-ever-afters, but HOPE. Her stories are woven together by the scarlet thread of GRACE.

Becky is the author of the ELDERBERRY CROFT series, LIFE LETTERS: THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, and releasing May 2014, WATERS FALL: THE ANATOMY OF AN AFFAIR, a gritty novel about grace when the unthinkably happens in a marriage.

Becky has been married to her champion for more than 25 years, they have three children, two of whom are grown and starting families of their own. They all live within a few miles of each other in Southern California. The Doughty family shares their lives with too many animals, a large vegetable garden, and a strange underground concrete room they're determined was built for dark and sinister purposes….

    Book Review

Reviewed by Brenda Casto for Readers' Favorite

Elderberry Croft by Becky Doughty is the story of Willow Goodhope and the way her presence brought together many of the residents of The Coach House Trailer Park, changing their lives in ways that they never even knew needed changing. Willow Goodhope moves into a tiny cottage at the trailer park that she immediately names Elderberry Croft. Many of the residents speculate about her exuberance, but she soon becomes their ray of sunshine where things had previously been stagnant. The change that she brings affects each person she meets differently, but the one thing they learn is that perhaps their lives aren't finished yet and they decide to step outside their comfort zones and take a chance at life. Willow is struggling with something that hurts so bad she isn't sure she can ever overcome it. Can Willow find the strength and courage to forgive herself so that she can embrace the future that waits for her?

Elderberry Croft is filled with unique and interesting characters with compelling stories that touched my heart. The book was originally released as a serial novel where each chapter is about a different character in The Coach House Trailer Park. The stories flowed so smoothly that I found myself absorbed, wondering who I might meet next, and the neat thing was that the characters would overlap into other stories, allowing us to keep tabs on them so to speak. Ms. Doughty made the characters so real that it was easy to feel their struggles and their blossoming hope as change began to take place at the trailer park.

Elderberry Croft is such a well crafted book that really took me on an emotional journey with each character. The story wraps up very well, but left me sad to leave my "friends" behind. Becky Doughty has hooked me with her richly descriptive writing style that has the ability to elicit emotion as I stepped into the lives of her characters. She deals with real life situations that aren't always neat and tidy, but the spiritual influence that she infuses into the telling provides hope, healing and inspiration.

Kelly Kathaleen Ball, Ama

This was a great book with realistic characters, creative plot twists, and valuable theme lessons. I was especially inspired by Willow's willingness to reach out to those around her with love instead of judgement. Without compromising her faith or convictions, she found a way to reach out to each of her neighbors. May we be inspired to follow her example, even in small ways! I find myself sad that it is ending, and that I will not hear from the characters again. That is always a sign of a good book for me!

Kara Cottrell, Amazon Rev

A beautiful story of love, friendship, and how God's miracles come in all shapes and sizes, working together to form something amazing! So many different stories and each one will impact your life somehow.

Editors Note, Amazon Revi

I fell in love with the cover of this book, it looked "enchanting" and I found the book itself to feel just the same as the cover. Willow is just as spellbinding to readers as she is to the people in the little community she moves into. Each character is very human, unlike other Christian books where the main character is picture perfect, each of the Christians in this story is flawed in some way, or has problems to work through, each are very much human and I absolutely LOVE that. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good little pick-me-up quick read, but beware, you might also get hooked and want to read the others too!

Firstlady, Amazon Reviewe

I AM HOOKED on this author and on her characters in Elderberry Croft. You will follow Willow as she meets her neighbors and gets involved in their lives. But there is a mystery here. What is Willow's secret? The characters are extremely well written and you feel as if they are your own neighbors and friends. I cannot recommend this book enough. And I know you will be waiting as anxiously as I am for the conclusion of Elderberry Croft. catch vol 1, 2 and 3 now - Vol 4 will be done soon I hope. 5 Stars for Author Becky Doughty.

kraftedkhaos, Amazon revi

Well-written, entertaining and brought a smile to my face! You can't help but like Willow and all the odd neighbors she 'inherits' when she moves into her new home. While the books are 'Christian', don't skip them just because it's not usually your thing, because the author does an excellent job of simply showing that God is Willow's motivation, just like any other motivation in any other story. You don't feel like she's trying to preach to you or shove religion down your throat. These stories are a true delight to read, and I highly recommend them to anyone, regardless of religion or age. These stories leave you happy, and wanting to go out and be kind to someone... wanting to be like Willow, just like her new neighbors do! Highly highly recommend!