Five Fall Favorites {Pro-Life + Barns}

Good mornings, friends, and welcome to this year's Five Fall Favorites blog party! This popular autumn festivity is hosted by Rebekah Morris of Read Another Page and Kate Willis of Once Upon an Ordinary. These gals have been hard at work for longer than the rest of us bloggers to get things up and going. Let's be sure to let them know how much we appreciate it!

Each stop of the party will have a different theme each day. Every day, there will be a 'book' room which will have the link to a free short story. Keep an eye out for that!

Today, I'm the barn room. So grab a stack of books, scamper up the ladder, and let's hide away in the hayloft for hours of bookish adventures. But first I have to give you my five favorites for today's genre!

Our first genre of the week is pro-life. Adoption, foster care, special needs, the elderly...that kind of thing. I had lots of fun coming up with these books, and I hope you find some new recommendations here. Cover images are linked to the books' Goodreads pages, for your accessibility. Here we go!

Monday: Pro-Life.

Baby by Patricia MacLachlan

Larkin's family welcomes Sophie into their home, caring for her and teaching her games and new words. They come to love this baby as their own, all the while knowing that eventually Sophie's mother will return one day to take her from them.

Oh my goodness, this story is so precious. I adore Ms. MacLachlan's writing, and when I picked this book up at the library in January, I found it to be no exception to the rest. While not your typical foster care setting, this story of a family who took in a child not their own is a beautiful tale of love and loss. 

True to You by Becky Wade (A Bradford Sisters Romance, #1)

After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now.

Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. However, when John, an adoptee, is diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his ancestry.

John enlists Nora's help to uncover the identity of his birth mother, and as they work side by side, this pair of opposites begins to suspect that they just might be a perfect match. But can their hope for a future survive their wounds from the past?

I just love adoption stories, y'all. The promised genealogy side of the plot along with John's quest to find his birth parents were the reasons that prompted me to pick up this book in the first place. The air of mystery surrounding the whole situation and the shocking revelation it brought made it a fun read!

*This book does deal with such topics as divorce, romance, murder, and rape. If you're under 13 and/or uncomfortable with any of those topics, this may not be the book for you.* 

Read my full review here.

Angel Unaware by Dale Evans Rogers 

Entertainers Roy and Dale Evans Rogers were thrilled when their little daughter Robin was born. But their excitement turned to concern when they were informed that Robin was born with Down's Syndrome and advised to "put her away." The Rogers ignored such talk and instead kept Robin, and she graced their home for two and a half years. Though Robin's time on earth was short, she changed her parents' lives and even made life better for other children born with special needs in the years to come.

Angel Unaware is Robin's account of her life as she looks down from heaven. As she speaks to God about the mission of love she just completed on earth, the reader sees how she brought her parents closer to God and encouraged them to help other children in need. 

This book, which changed the way America treated children with special needs, is now available to a new generation. It is the perfect gift for parents of special needs children, parents grieving the death of a child, or anyone whose life has been touched by a special child. 

I knew before reading this that the Rogerses were Christians, but this gave enough insight into their personal lives that I better appreciate the people on the screen. Written by her mother, this little book gives a precious glimpse into the short life of young Robin Rogers. It was a sweet story, bringing tears to my eyes. 

Kindred Souls by Patricia MacLachlan

Jake’s grandfather, Billy, hears the talk of birds, is eighty-eight years old, and is going to live forever. Even when Billy gets sick, Jake knows that everything will go on as always. But there’s one thing Billy wants: to rebuild the sod house where he grew up. Can Jake give him this one special thing?

From beloved author Patricia MacLachlan comes a poignant story about what we do for the ones we love, and how the bonds that hold us together also allow us to let each other go.

Ahh, this story was so darling. A tale of a young boy and his family's determination to make his grandpa's special request become reality. And, of course, there's an amazing dog in the story. Honestly, the pets and animals in Ms. MacLachlan's stories are nearly as trademark as her lyrical writing style. I may or may not have cried during this one. <3 

(I was going to try to not 'repeat' authors each day, but in this case, I just can't help it. This book is precious.) 

Brush of Wings by Karen Kingsbury (Angels Walking, #3)

Despite needing a heart transplant and against the advice of her doctor, Mary Catherine moves to Uganda to work at a brand new orphanage. Whatever time she has left, Mary Catherine wants to spend it helping children—especially since there will be no children of her own. The only problem is Major League Baseball player Marcus Dillinger, the man she never meant to fall in love with. Neither Marcus nor Mary Catherine’s other friends—Tyler Ames and Sami Dawson—know just how serious her heart condition is.

Still, Marcus is sure in the depths of his soul that something isn’t right. Ultimately his correspondence with Mary Catherine leads him on a desperate life-or-death mission to rescue her and get her to a US hospital before time runs out. Meanwhile, Sami and Tyler struggle with issues of their own. In a season when Tyler plans to ask Sami to marry him, the very core of their relationship is in jeopardy.

The team of angels walking is busier than ever in this epic battle between life and death. A Brush of Wings is a poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and the power of faith. 

Dealing with both adoption and a heart condition, Brush of Wings is a fantastic tale of one girl's journey to make the most of the time she has left. In that way, and concerning the adoption in the second half of the book, the book carries strong themes of the sacredness of human life. 

Angels Walking is a series that I would definitely suggest reading in order—and they all deal with pro-life topics in some way!

What would a blog party be without a giveaway? Especially a party as large and fabulous as this one! This year's giveaway basket is chocked full of all sorts of bookish goodies.

The grand prize winner will receive... 

Gift from the Storm by Rebekah Morris

Kiera by Kate Willis

There Was Always Laughter in Our House by Sarah Holman

Love Needs No Words by Faith Potts

Bound by Victoria Lynn

A Five Fall Favorites mug (designed by Rebekah Morris, created and donated by Salsa and Tea)

The book basket is only for US winners, but if you're International, still enter! If we receive enough entries, a second and even third place prize could be added. Those will be Kindle books, provided by the participating authors.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click the button below and be directed to the Literary Lodge. You aren't going to want to miss a single post of this party!

Are you excited for the party? What's your favorite pro-life book? Have you read any of these? 

~Faith