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Finding Faith

A book review and Q & A with the Author!
About the Author: Rachel Rittenhouse has been writing for as long as she can remember. Now at age 16, her dream of becoming a author is finally true. Since she grew up loving to read, Rachel remembers the struggle to find good Christian books worth reading for young girls growing in the Lord. She strives to write those types of books and because she loves historical fiction, most of her books are set in the past.

You can find more about Rachel and her writing at her websites: www.woodsmallsisters.com andwww.rachelrittenhouse.com

The book Finding Faith takes place in 1854/1855. Finding Faith is the diary of a thirteen year old girl, Carolyn Woodsmall. She is the eldest daughter and leads a fairly normal life for a girl growing up in her time period, that is until tragedy strikes and the girl’s world is sent for a 360. Will Carolyn find her faith again and realize that God never left her?

You will travel through time to the Woodsmall homestead…As you read through Carolyn’s diary you cry when hurt reaches the deepest part of her heart, you laugh when she laughs, you swoon over Scott when she does, you love her sisters when she does, and you get ready to fight that mean old brother and sister bully duo when she does.

Rachel wrote this book for the younger generation of girls. She felt God leading her to write this book for the young girls that she interacts with. Rachel is certain that libraries and bookstores are filled with books that you do not want your brain to comprehend. You walk into the young adult section at the library and every single book on those shelves is filled with books centered around unhealthy relationships. She decided that she would do something about it, so she put her hand to the page and wrote a book.

Finding Faith is now out in stores! And be ready…the second book in the series, Discovering Hope (Bethany’s Diary), is coming your way soon! Get ready to be blown away by the Woodsmall Sister’s story!

If you struggle with your faith and blame God for what happened to your life, put yourself in Carolyn’s shoes. Realize that God has been with you and He will be with you for the long run.

Question and Answer Session
with
Rachel Rittenhouse!

Natalee: Why did you choose to write Finding Faith in the first place?

Rachel: I chose to write Finding Faith because I personally know the struggle it is to find good Christian books that promote Christian morals. With many young girls that are very dear to my heart, I wanted to write something for them to read as they got older. Finding Faith originally started out as Carolyn's Diary. Carolyn is a 13-year-old girl living with her family on the prairie in Minnesota. As I looked over the book later, the one recurring theme throughout Carolyn's diary is her journey to find her faith in God.

Natalee: Do you feel as if writing is your calling in life?

Rachel: Yes I do. Ever since I was a young girl, I have loved to write. I would come up with exciting fictional stories--some realistic, others not so much. I am also an avid reader. I love reading and I as got older, knew I wanted to write like some of my favorite authors.

Natalee: How can you use your writing/books to further the Kingdom of God?

Rachel: As I have said already, I pray that my writing can be used to encourage young girls in their walk with Christ. I also aspire to help girls follow their dreams in whatever God has for them. Writing a book and then self-publishing requires a huge step of faith and perseverance, but that is how our walk with God is in our daily life. You are never too young to follow your dream, but it has to be in accordance to God's will to truly succeed.

Natalee: How can you relate to the story line in Finding Faith? Did certain events in your own life inspire the events in the book? Why or why not?

Rachel: The story line in Finding Faith is sometimes what I wished my life to be. After growing up reading Little House on the Prairie, I have always wanted to live out west, even in that time-period. Carolyn also has an older brother--something I wish I always had. In fact, most of my books you will find that my main character has an older brother.

Natalee: Which character can you most relate with and why?

Rachel: I believe I most relate with Carolyn. I originally wrote her with my personality in mind. What she wants to do most in life is write, but on the other hand, she would love to be a housewife and mother. Carolyn is also very close with her parents which represents my relationships with my parents. Carolyn is very much an organizer and take-charge type of person, though I wish I had her outgoing spirit!

Natalee: If you went through the same trials as Carolyn did, do you think that you would still believe God? Would you revert back to Faith or would you blame God for everything and abandon Him on the roadside?

Rachel: I would like to think that I would still believe in God and cling to the faith that I have always known. But in simple reality, I have not yet faced any of the trials that Carolyn has been made to face. Losing a mother is a very grave loss and I'm not sure how I would react to losing my mother. I think the natural tendency is to blame God for what happened, but then realize that he may be allowing trails in your life for a reason. He wants to grow you as a person and draw you closer to Him through it all.

Natalee: How can young girls learn from the everyday experiences of Carolyn and her sisters?

Rachel: Carolyn and her sisters go through a lot of heartache and struggle, but they also have pretty fun times. One learning experience from their lives would just be the relationship with each other. These girls have a very close bond as the work together and just hang out. I think that with family and faith, you can really set out to accomplish anything!

Rachel is available to speak at schools, book clubs, and various places about her faith and writing/publishing experience.

If you would like to contact Rachel, you can email her at rachel@woodsmallsisters.com.

Unique!

Unique. What an interesting word. What does it mean? Why is it so important? To be "unique" is to be special. Take a look at your finger prints. None of them are exactly the same. Your finger prints are unique. Look at your hair. Does anyone have the exact same hair as you do? Nope. Your hair is unique. Examine your eyes. Does anyone have eyes like yours? No. They may have blue eyes like you have blue eyes but they aren't the same. If your fingerprints and your hair can be 100% unique. Then why can't you?

Great news! You can be unique! Girl, you ARE unique! There isn't another person out there like you. God made you special. He made you unique. He made you His daughter. Can you imagine life if we were all the same? I'm pretty sure life would be very boring. You walk out of the house and...boom!...there is someone who looks just like you. The same nose. The same ears. The same eyes. The same index finger. The same big toe. The same left elbow. The same funny bone. The same everything!

God obviously didn't want life to be that way. He made you to look like...well...you! And He made me to look like me. Ultimately we are all made in the image of Christ. That right there makes us 110% unique. You are so beautiful and so previous in God's eyes. Don't allow the world to tell you that you aren't. Don't be bullied because society doesn't approve of you. Who cares what society thinks? Let's be focused on what God thinks. He knows that you are beautiful and precious. That is all the reassurance that you need.

About the Author:

"Hey! My name is Natalee, I am a crazy, lovable, homeschooled girl who resides in Pennsylvania. I spend my days sweating over algebraic equations, lost in books, and practicing my writing skills."