Well Worth the Time!

books:

	• Elvis Takes a Back Seat Leanna Ellis B&H Fiction, 2008 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 9 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Top notch fiction

There are so many books out there and so little time to read them all. This is one story I recommend you take the time to enjoy. While there is nothing fluffy about this book, it does have it's humorous moments. There are also some very deep moments and emotional ties that develop between these friends whe secrets come out that challenge their beliefs. I found some of the struggles they dealt with to be very true-to-life. And when it comes to grief and loss, I dare say I don't think I've read anything more real and honest than Claudia's perspective. I've read a lot of stories where people were angry with God for losing a loved one, but Leanna Ellis makes this one feel...real. It's hard to explain, but if you know someone who is angry and feels far away from God because they can't seem to let go, this would be a great book to give them to help them work through that.

But this story is more than just a glance into someone's pain, it's a compelling tale of three women who all have serious issues to deal with. The dialogue is natural and feels so real. The way the author brings these issues to the forefront through the story is incredibly well-done. You can actually learn something about your own heart and your own relationship with God from reading this book. That's a skill few authors have, and that's what makes it fabulous Christian fiction in my book. I highly recommend it.

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Well Worth the Time!

On a recent visit to our local Christian bookstore, I decided that I needed something "new" to read. It's not like I don't have a TON of books sitting in my "to be read" stack, but I wanted something to jump off the shelves at me.

This book did it.

The title and the cover caught my eye, and this sentence from the back cover sealed the deal:

Determined to fulfill her husband's last request, Claudia McIntosh is hauling a three-foot bust of Elvis Presley in the back seat of a vintage Cadillac from Dallas to Memphis.

The blurb goes on to explain that she is joined by her eccentric aunt who actually knew the King of Rock 'n' Roll. They find themselves in the company of a friends' daughter, a temperamental teen.

Let me tell you, I have enjoyed this book from front to back! It made me laugh and cry as I pictured each step of the journey these three women take to return this mysterious bust. And of that journey, Ellis' character Claudia notes:

At the beginning of our journey, I thought we three were as different as the seasons. But now I realize even the seasons are connected and dependent on one another.

I love the reminder that we really DO need to depend on each other to take each step. And more importantly, we must depend on God. We are not alone.

Ellis does a fantastic job of incorporating faith in this story in very real, manageable chunks. It's not so overt that it's a turn-off. Nor is it contrived and stiff. I mean these women find themselves in bars, dealing with such topics as unplanned pregnancies, early death, hidden secrets, suicide, wrestling with faith and uncovering lies. In essence, these are three generations of women meeting real life with real emotions head on.

I like the review on the back that calls this book, "..a fun, deep, unexpected book."

On a light note, I loved the trip down memory lane. There are plenty of Elvis facts woven throughout along with reminiscing of the 60's, 70's and 80's. For me, this was one of the things that kept me reading...despite the fact that I've never been to Memphis or had an overt interest in the "king"!

I want to encourage you to read this book. If you lived through the "Elvis era", have wrestled with heartache and loneliness, enjoyed life in the 60's, 70's and/or 80's, have walked on the wild side, stuffed emotions, or dealt with skeletons in a closet, you just might find yourself in there.

I know I did.

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A Matter of Faith

Claudia is a young widow who is having a hard time moving on with her life. After experiencing the loss of her parents, she was faced with the illness and eventual death of her husband. Claudia was the kind of wife who built her life around her husband's hopes and dreams. With his death, and no children of her own to tend to, she felt lost. As the book opens, as a result of the prodding of her friends, Claudia has pulled out all of her parents' and husband's belongings and attempts to have a yard sale. However, on the day of the sale, she finds time and time again, she is unable to let go of the belongings.

While preparing for the sale, Claudia sees a lamp she understandably banished to the attic from the beginning of her marriage. The lamp, also a bust in the image of Elvis, was treasured by her late husband, and a reflection of just how much of an Elvis fan he was. When Claudia sees the lamp, she immediately knows she cannot sell it. When she discovers a note from her husband in the box, the beginnings of a plan for a road trip to return Elvis to his proper home begins to develop. Before long, Claudia, her aunt, and her best friend's daughter, head off to Graceland, with Elvis, too big to fit in the trunk, riding along in the back seat. As the group travels across state lines en route to Graceland, they get to know one another better, and it soon becomes apparent that this was more than a road trip, but rather, a journey to self-discovery.

ELVIS TAKES A BACK SEAT was an unexpected pleasure to read. In addition to telling a good story, the book carries readers on a roller coaster ride that covers the full spectrum of emotions. Leanna Ellis has created an interesting group of characters and then, like peeling back layers of an onion, she slowly reveals more and more about their lives, their secrets, and their innermost fears. The characters are genuine, flawed, and colorful, making it easy to empathize with their struggles. Elvis represents so many things in ELVIS TAKES A BACK SEAT, from letting go of the past, having faith, and the struggle between our human nature and our spiritual nature; yet the story is so much bigger. This book is poignant display of how family secrets, doubt, fear, rejection, and even love impact each of us. Finally, ELVIS TAKES A BACK SEAT is a testament to the goodness of God's grace.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

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A Real Must Read

Memphis or Bust

Determined to fulfill her husband's last request, Claudia McIntosh is hauling a three-foot bust of Elvis Presley in the back seat of a vintage Cadillac from Dallas to Memphis, hoping to locate the kitschy sculpture's rightful owner. Along for the ride are her eccentric aunt who knew the King of Rock 'n' Roll and a temperamental teen with a suspicious mind of her own. When the road trip hits the Heartbreak Hotel, these three women uncover pieces of their past along with the bust's mysterious history--discoveries that will leave them all shook up and change their lives forever.

The first thing I noticed when I started reading this book was the wonderful way Leanna puts her words together--the cadence of the sentences and the unexpected words used in descriptions. Being a novelist myself, I wanted to study her techniques.

Very soon, I was sucked in and lost myself in the wonderful story. I loved her characters, and she defined each one superbly.

One of my editors recently wrote on her blog that authors need to look at things from a different perspective--turn things around and see where this takes them. Leanna did this very well. The fresh way she presented this story took the reader into the hearts and souls of the characters.

I highly recommend this book. It's a must read.

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Get in the groove!

Still grieving from her husband's early death, Claudia stumbles across a note from him, with an odd request - take Stu's beloved bust of Elvis back to Memphis. Unable to refuse, Claudia hits the road in Stu's red vintage Cadillac with her Aunt Rae, an unconventional woman with a mysterious tie to Elvis and the conspicuous bust of Elvis riding in the back seat. Joining them is Ivy, the teenage daughter of Stu's best friend Ben, unpredictable and defiant and maybe more than the childless Claudia can handle.

Their journey is replete with shocking revelations, fascinating people, a sharing of secrets and finally, blossoming hope and love.

Leanna Ellis tells a unique and quirky tale that is fun, captivating and inspiring. Claudia, Rae and Ivy represent woman across the generations and their interaction, though not without difficulties, engagingly highlights the importance of female relationships. Leanna is adept at creating poignant and tender scenes without sentimentality as the characters battle with grief, fear, rejection, faith and love. Seamlessly woven throughout the story are fascinating insights into Elvis' life, love lost and rediscovered and burgeoning hope. If you are looking fsomething a little different from the main fare and a better than average read, Elvis Takes a Back Seat is is the real deal!

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reviews: page 1, 2

Elvis Takes a Back Seatby award-winning novelist Leanna Ellis is the endearing story of Claudia, a young widow determined to fulfill her husband?s last request by hauling a three-foot bust of Elvis Presley in the backseat of a vintage Cadillac from Dallas to Memphis to return it to its rightful owner. The road trip?taken with an eccentric aunt who actually knew the ?King of Rock ?n? Roll,? and a temperamental teen with a suspicious mind of her own?hits some royal roadblocks and detours as these women uncover pieces of their past along with the bust?s mysterious history. What they find along the way changes their lives forever, inspiring readers to also step out in faith.

Endorsements:

Brilliant! Charming! I absolutely adored it! With memorable characters, Elvis Takes a Back Seat is an emotional journey well worth taking. I laughed, I cried, I sighed in contentment. Leanna Ellis is a gifted writer and a must-read. - Lorraine Heath

"Leanna Ellis takes a back seat to no one, so put on your blue suede shoes and come along for a most entertaining ride to Memphis?and to the healing place closest to the heart." Debbie Macomber, New York Times #1 bestselling author

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