January 2026
This is a story of six very different and very ill women, and although it may sound bizarre, it is an incredibly heart-lifting story. Penny is the central character who encounters these five other women, or more accurately, patients, when she is admitted to hospital. Bay C is the respiratory ward, and while Penny is being treated physically for her lung disease, we discover a woman who has been suffocating mentally her whole life. As a result, her self-esteem is practically non-existent.
You get the impression that Penny would normally be a patient that would keep herself to herself, but ward C has a rather outspoken girl called Josie, and as everyone discovers, ignoring her in never really an option. She says it has she sees it and can be extremely blunt, but there is a kindness in her that will eventually draw the others together.
The other four beds are occupied by Kat the vicar, which no-one would have guessed because of her tattoos; Amina, who is quiet and unassuming; Violet, a terrible snob who can’t understand why she isn’t in a private room; Barbara – elderly, frail, and appears to have lost a mouse.
The story of these six women develops deliberately slowly to begin with, drawing us into each individual narrative until we are absolutely hooked.
Liz Carter writes with a real knowledge of the sights, sounds, and inner workings of a hospital ward, which she uses to transport the reader into the environment our characters find themselves in. Once there, you can’t help but cheer them on as their individual weaknesses gives way to a collective strength.
This story is both heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time. It tackles real issues and struggles faced by so many, highlighting why the need to be kind is so important. In kindness, we build friendships, and in friendship we find courage and strength.
Find out more about Liz Carter and her books at: https://www.resolutebooks.co.uk/liz-carter
Book Review- October 2025
I received a copy of this book for the purpose of reading and reviewing. Having read it, I am already making a note of who I can buy it for!
As the title says, this book contains 52 devotions; one per week. You don’t have to read it like this, of course, and could read one a day, but I would encourage you to take your time with these devotions. On average, they are three pages long and will take around five minutes to read. The reason I suggest taking your time and reading one a week is because Vicki includes a few probing questions at the end of each devotion, under the heading, To Think About, which is followed by an open section for, My Thoughts. I feel that by taking time to think about, and really ponder the message Vicki has chosen for the week, we can note down our own feelings, tackle the questions she asks, and see how it develops over the course of seven days.
Vicki draws on her own experiences and particular incidences of things that have happened in her own life. I was drawn by her honesty, which I found really helped to bring a freshness of God’s Word into the reality of everyday living. The use of Scripture in various translations helps bring clarity, and grounds us in ways of God – the Way we are to follow and the way we are called to live as sons and daughters of God.
Vicki covers a wide range of topics and themes, including – friendship and relationship, legacy and the gift of time, the expectations within everyday life and the choices we make, plans and trust and taking risks.
These are beautifully honest and thought-provoking devotions that are filled with joy and hope, encouragement and blessing.
You can find out more about Vicki, her blog and her books by using the links below:
Narrow Path Ministries 