Book Review: At Every Turn by Anne Mateer

AT EVERY TURN by Anne Mateer

About the Book:

Caught up in a whirlwind of religious fervor when two missionaries speak at her church, Alyce Benson impetuously pledges three thousand dollars to mission work in Africa. She’s certain her wealthy father will simply hand her the money. But when he refuses, she must either stand up in front of the congregation and admit failure, or raise the money herself.

Alyce harbors a secret passion for speed and automobiles. It’s 1916, and the latest advancements in car engines allow some to post speeds upwards of seventy miles per hour! When she discovers her father’s company has sponsored a racing car that will compete in several upcoming events–races in which the driver will be paid and could win as much as five thousand dollars in prize money–she conspires with her father’s mechanic, Webster, to secretly train and compete.

But as Alyce comes across needs in her own community, money slips through her fingers faster than she can earn it. And when her friends cast aspersions on Webster’s past, she believes she might have trusted the wrong man with her secret. Will Alyce come up with the money in time, or will she have to choose between her promise and the man who holds a piece of her heart?

My Review:

This book is a good historical Christian fiction novel. Accurate in historical detail (including vocabulary from the time period--I found a couple of spots where the terms in Mateer's novel matched some from Jack London's The Call of the Wild, which I'm reading with my middle schooler right now), with a spunky heroine, lesser-known subject matter (women racecar drivers) and a non-preachy spiritual component, it makes for a pleasant read. The heroine, Alyce, is very likeable, and her confusion about finding God's will for her life is certainly something with which many readers will identify strongly.

At Every Turn is the first book of Anne's I've read, and it's her second novel.


Note: Anne Mateer is the fiction pen name of D'Ann Mateer, a close friend of Mary DeMuth. She was an active mentor with The Writing Spa until that site closed.

**I received a copy of this novel from Bethany House as a part of the
Bethany House Bloggers program
in exchange for an honest review both here and on a retailer website.**