A Family for Thanksgiving by Patricia Davids

Nothing is more true than the old adage that God moves in mysterious ways.

Born and raised in the farm country of north central Kansas, Pat enjoyed an idyllic childhood on her parent’s farm with four brothers, numerous dogs and her beloved horses for company. It was no surprise then that she became something of a tomboy. Softball, 4-H, and fishing down at the creek were some of her favorite pastimes, but nothing held her interest as much as a good book. She devoured every novel she could get her hands on.

Pat attended high school in Chapman, Kansas, and left the farm for good in 1970 to attend Kansas State University at Manhattan Kansas in preparation for her chosen career. Nursing.

In 1973, she graduated from the Wichita, St Joseph School of Nursing. A few months before graduation, a fellow nursing student asked Pat to write a letter to a friend’s son who was in the Navy. Little did she know that her “favor to a friend” would bring her into contact with the love of her life.

Marriage to Dave, her sailor pen-pal, soon followed and Pat moved even farther away from the farm, to the naval town of Groton, Connecticut. A short year later, Pat and Dave were blessed by the birth of a daughter, Katherine Ann. Life as a sailor’s wife provided Pat with many trials and some wonderful memories. After Dave left the service, the couple returned to Wichita, Kansas where they both began working at St. Joseph Medical Center. Pat in the NICU with premature babies and her husband in the x-ray department.

During the following years, Pat remained an avid reader of romance novels. She often thought of trying her hand at writing, but the pressures of raising a family and her challenging career as a member of the neonatal transport team left her little time to herself. The one thing she was determined to do was to return to country living.

The year her daughter started junior high, the family moved to a modest home on the banks of the Ninnescah River in a place called Zyba, Kansas. Pat once again had room for a horse and some great fishing right outside her back door. In the late 1980’s, she and Dave became archery enthusiasts traveling throughout Kansas and neighboring states to compete in 3-D archery tournaments. They won the men’s and the women’s outdoor state championship in the same year. Pat even managed to do a little hunting with her bow. If you ask her, she’ll tell you that her years in Zyba were among some of the highlights of her life.

Unfortunately, life in the country came to an abrupt end when the family lost their home and most of their possessions in a house fire in 1993. When the flames died away, all that was left was a stone chimney standing guard over a pile of smoldering ruins. The family was devastated.

It was hard starting over, but with the help of family and many friends, Pat and Dave returned to Wichita and settled into a roomy brick home just 15 minutes from their work. The one true bright spot in Pat’s life then was the arrival of her grandson, Joshua. However, a short year later Dave became disabled due to a degenerative spinal disorder and their life once again changed directions. The next few years proved gloomy for Pat. Financial difficulties, her husband’s uncertain health and her daughter’s divorce followed by an ugly custody battle took their toll.

Then, in 1996, Pat decided to focus her energy in a new direction. At long last, she felt she could write a novel. With her husband’s encouragement, she launched herself into learning about the business of writing and joined a local writing group called The Wichita Area Romance Writers. Pat credits WARA and their parent organization, Romance Writers of America, with giving her the tools she needed to craft a publishable book. It wasn’t easy. It took seven years and many, many rejections, but in 2003, after meeting inspirational author, Deborah Raney, Pat found her niche in the romance market. In 2004, Joan Marlow Golan, the senior editor at Steeple Hill Books, bought His Bundle of Love and Pat’s career as a published author took off. 2006 saw the release of her first three books from Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired.

Today, Pat is working on book number 14. Her husband’s health has improved and they now have two grandchildren. Pat’s prayers for a granddaughter were answered in 2000 with the birth of an adorable little girl named Shantel who just happens to be the spitting image of her mother.

In 2008, Pat retired from nursing in her beloved NICU to write full time. Some days she regrets that decision, but writing keeps her busy. That and traveling. After the sale of her first book, she splurged and took her family to Disney World. Later, she and four girlfriends took an Alaskan cruise and Pat fulfilled a lifetime dream of riding in a dogsled. Remember those books she devoured as a kid? Among her favorites was White Fang, by Jack London.

Writing has allowed Pat to travel and to meet hundreds of people all over the United States. She happily shares her story and the lessons she has learned along the way with other writers and readers in church and civic groups. If you’d like to have Pat speak to your group, contact her via the e-mail link above.

And in case you couldn’t tell from the graphics on her website…Pat LOVES her coffee.

A wonderful read for those relaxing evenings by the fireplace. Davids packs faith, forgiveness, love, and family into this story. I loved all the characters, as well as the plot.

Davids writes about a rekindled love, a little girl in need of a family after being orphaned during a twister, and a torn apart by that twister. As I read this book, I found myself wishing it wouldn’t end. I could feel God moving through the pages as He guided the characters.

After the book ended, and I said goodbye (though I didn’t want to!) to the characters, I knew the message that Davids wove between the lines of this amazing story. The meaning of family and what it truly means to be thankful. I know what I’m thankful for…..do you???

Five stars and two thumbs, definitely!!!