Little Mesa, Montana is the setting for this lovely Easter-themed story of living with loss, redemption, and rebirth. Emily Carver teaches at a small school which particularly takes kids who are troubled or have special educational needs.  HER EASTER PRAYER takes various forms – a wish for her car to be serviced, a need for better income from a second job, and a deep-seated desire for a family.

Dev McCarthy and his eight-year-old son Landon are new around Bright Tomorrows school; Dev because he is the new handyperson and Landon because he struggles with reading, oh, and the small matter of being excluded from his previous school for setting fire to a wastebasket. Emily’s service dog Lady helps break barriers and the three start to make friends. This linked series of books about K-9 Companions features loyal dog helpers who are not the Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Malinois of the earlier K9 policing series. The cover photo of a golden Labradoodle in a red work jacket with her handler makes for instant appeal.    

The budding romance develops slowly and not without difficulties. Kind words from the pastor, Nate Fisher, Dev’s cousin, help everyone. But Emily is still traumatised from a house fire years ago which wrecked her family life, hence the therapy dog. She finds it tough to trust anyone, least of all herself.  Working with Landon, she suggests he may have dyslexia, but his dad seems unwilling to discuss the possibility.  Dev is hiding a few secrets behind that capable exterior. 

Some of the tale may seem unrealistic, but science tells us that the longer we have thought a certain way or done a certain thing, the harder it is to start thinking or doing something new. The brain keeps sending messages along a physical channel and it’s hard to break out of that rut and make the brain send messages in new directions. Emily has an unkind influence constantly reminding her of her sins, real or imagined. She has the same bills to pay and the same work situation. Can she learn to break free, take a leap of faith, and start afresh? I was hoping she would stand up for herself and be a stronger woman. These changes can take time.

Lee Tobin McClain also wrote one of my favourite Easter books, 2018's A FAMILY FOR EASTER in the Rescue River series.  This is a wonderful time of year, full of energy, and the high country demonstrates this perfectly, with mountains, lakes, and snowpack as well as the brightly painted Easter eggs in HER EASTER PRAYER.