I just read Sun Tunnels and Secrets by Carole Thayne Warburton and I'm happy to be part of her blog tour for this book (you can go to her blog here)

Here is the blurb from the back cover: 
"On a  trip to the Sun Tunnels in the Utah desert, Norma and her sisters find a body on the side of the road. But this awful discovery turns out to be the least of their problems. Norma's husband just passed on, and she learns he kept a secret from her for sixty years. LaRue is keeping a secret from Norma. The sisters' young friend Tony is keeping a secret about his famous father, and Tony's mother is keeping a secret of her own. Tony is secretly in love with his friend Kelli, who recently escaped from a polygamist cult. And who is the mysterious young car thief with whom Norma feels a special connection? Everything converges in Grouse Creek at the Fourth of July celebration. Will secrets prove everyone's undoing?

Sun Tunnels and Secrets is a story of relationship and trust, of romance and dreams."

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was interesting and even quite moving at times. But the thing I enjoyed most about the book were the characters.  The three elderly sisters, Norma, Mabel, and LaRue, were incredibly real to me. Growing up in a small town in Utah, these women were my neighbors, my ward members, and even my relatives. 

Warburton has a real gift for observing and recreating small-town Utah reality. Her dialogue with these characters was pitch perfect, and I was drawn into the story.

The story begins very much plot-driven, with unusual things happening to these characters.  However, very quickly the book changes and becomes more subtle and character-driven. In my opinion, this is when Warburton's story is at it's best--and when Warburton is at her best. One thing I really loved was how flawed her characters all were--lovable, but flawed. This made them all the more real to me. 

I enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.  In addition to being enjoyable, there are some powerful lessons, although they are very subtle. 

GIVEAWAY: In honor of the release of the book, the publisher is sponsoring a contest with two prizes.  One prize is a copy of the book.  The second prize is a lovely, handcrafted pot (see below) that was made by the author, Carole Thayne Warburton.

If you want to enter, leave a comment here that says why you are excited to read the book.  For an extra entry, you can blog, facebook, or tweet about the contest.  If you do, leave a link the comments on this blog.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book in return for posting a review. This did not effect my opinion or review.

Here is the vase you can win!