Kim Vogel Sawyer

The Songbird of Hope Hill by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a story of second chances through faith and forgiveness. Meaningful conversation between Isaiah Overly the preacher “God’s ways aren’t our ways, but—” and Ephraim his son “His ways are always better” was truly the theme throughout this heartfelt fictional historical Christian novel.

The story centers around Birdie who is rescued from a house of ill repute by Pastor Overly. The Pastor along with his wife Ophelia founded Hope Hill, a haven to teach women how to read and write, and other skills necessary to ensure their future will be better than their past. All of the characters within the story have their own struggles, which weave together with Birdie’s as she journeys towards faith. At Hope Hill Birdie upon joining the choir finds that her gift of song was meant for singing praises to God. We also get to witness the most beautiful love story between Ephraim and Birdie as they slowly grow together in faith, friendship, and mutual love.

Sawyer with her masterful prose takes her readers on a journey that will forever resonate that even the most broken can find redemption in the loving embrace of God. She is unmatched in her ability to make the most realistic intricate characters and narrative to draw one’s attention from beginning to end. An impactful inspiring story, The Songbird of Hope Hill, touches one’s heart and will linger for long after the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this outstandingly beautiful book, The Songbird of Hope Hill, from WaterBrook & Multnomah via NetGalley. I was under no obligation to write a favorable review, and all opinions are my own.… (mehr)

The Songbird of Hope Hill, by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a wonderful story of how God forgives us for our past and offers us a new life. This is a well written story that is easy to read and to imagine. This is such an inspirational story to read. I just love the characters for their strength and love for helping others. I felt sorry for Birdie as she long for her remaining family and she worked so hard to get to them. I enjoyed the different tasks the Overly family had to help the women that chose to join their family and how they were able to help so many. 

This is a delightful story to read. I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this story, this is my honest review.… (mehr)

The Songbird of Hope Hill by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a touching, hopeful tale. The characters’ backgrounds are complex and some of them took the whole book to unfold. I enjoyed watching the relationships develop between the characters. Faith is woven into the story, but I did feel it was a little heavy handed (very preachy). The story is told from different characters’ perspectives including Birdie. While it did allow me to understand the characters better along with their struggles, it was also confusing, and it kept me from becoming immersed in the story. Besides trying to keep track of the characters, I was trying to remember the various subplots. The pacing is leisurely. I liked that romance was not the focus of the book. The romance was sweet, and I like that it began (and is based on) as a friendship. The ending was hurried and tied up a little too neatly (of course, a happy ending is expected). While there were things that I did not like, The Songbird of Hope Hill is a beautiful story. I love that we get to see Reverend Overly and his wife, Ophelia as well as their son, Ephraim go out of their way to offer women of the evening a way out of that life. The Overly’s treated everyone with kindness and respect. I liked the message that none of us are without sin and that we should not judge others (especially when they are bettering themselves and putting their past behind them). The Songbird of Hope Hill is a poignant tale with a resolute reverend, a prayed for liberation, angelic vocals, perturbing dissenters, newfound friends, and a joyful future.… (mehr)