"At Every Turn" by Anne Mateer

At Every Turn (Sept. 1, 2012) by Anne Mateer.*

In 1916, Alyce Benson is a 22-year-old graduate of the Chicago Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences. She is impetuous, but has a heart that is full of faith and compassion toward others. Alyce loves to attend church, as her grandmother did when she was physically stronger and had her sight. Alyce found her connection to religion through her grandmother, although neither of her parents attend. One Sunday, Alyce hears the story of a missionary couple. She wants to help, not just after hearing their words, but seeing pictures of dear young faces who have so little, and she, with her wealthy father, has such abundance. Impulsively, she stands up and pledges three thousand dollars to the mission of Mr. and Mrs. McConnell. She challenges the church membership to rise up and match her pledge.

            Unfortunately, her father does not simply hand over the money. Frantic, Alyce tries to come up with ideas to raise the funds herself. What is she good at? Driving fast! With the assistance of Webster Little, her father’s mechanic, Alyce trains and competes in a few car races.

            Races with cars to be driven by men only.

            But Alyce is determined to help those children through the missionaries, and she is desperate to raise the money she pledged so publicly. Her heart is in a good place, for she wants to help so much. But she will have to juggle her secrets and the stories associated with them. When she’s left in a big quandary, can she trust the Lord to lead her out of it? Will she allow Him to mold and shape her in His own way?

            Mateer creates a subtle heroine in Alyce. She is not a weapon-wielding warrior-woman on an action-adventure chase. No. Alyce’s heroine is demure with a penchant for driving fast and being around automobiles. She’s a heroine to those who are down on their luck and is a caring friend as well. Mateer’s research into the time period is both obvious and appreciated. Her characters seem real, and the story progressed smoothly. While I did not love the book, I did like it. It may be of particular interest to those who enjoy historical fiction and/or Christian fiction and/or car racing stories with a female protagonist.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”