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A Mess of Dreams
Genre: Historical Published: 14 July 2026
Series: The Middlefork Series Book 1 Pages: 400 pages
Format: E-Book Source: ARC
This book took me a while to get through. I feel as though I just wasn't as connected to the characters as I generally like to be, so it was completely a me problem. I absolutely loved this take from the home front during WWII because I haven't read many from this perspective. It was so enlightening to see how farmers during this time were faced with the decision of using German POWs or having their farms suffer because most of the young men were on the war front. I love how Jessie showed us the nuance of humans in general, but particularly Germans in this case. Too often people try to paint with a broad brush and lump all people who share a common trait into one category, yet the only category we all get to be painted into is being all made in God's image.
The other aspect I adored was the intertwined faith and healing from old wounds. We can tell ourselves such lies and let things weigh on us far longer than God wants us to. Yet when we let it go true healing and growth can begin, because it means we are relying on Him and not ourselves.
However, I really just wasn't invested in the characters which is a huge part of my personal experience with books. I can't even pinpoint why; there was just something missing for me. Actually, as I am pondering, I think part of it might be the season of life I'm in and this book was a little heavier. I also kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and more bad things to happen.
I will definitely read the next book in the series because I did like it.
To find out more about the book head here: A Mess of Dreams on Jessie's Website
Overall a 3.5 star read for me.
Quote Time:
"Even in our pain, we must learn to control our emotions, or we'll alienate those we care about most."
A great reminder about not letting our emotions control our actions. God gave us emotions because they can give us all kinds of information, but they are not to drive the bus. God guides us and self-control is a fruit of the Spirit because it's important to follow His ways and guidance from His Word no matter how we are feeling in the moment.
"Better to trust than to live in fear, but better safe than sorry."God has been showing me a lot about stewardship, and I thought this summed it up so well. We trust and don't live in fear, but we also steward well which means doing our best to make wise decisions.
This last quote was just so good, and emanates truth:
"They're my family now too, remember? The longer I live, the more I understand that everyone views life through their own experiences, good or bad. All we can do is try to show compassion while we keep praying for growth and change."
I want to thank the author and publisher for a copy of this book to read without any expectation of a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Meet the Author:
Jessie Mattis crafts twentieth-century inspirational fiction
inspired by family history, where she hopes to breathe new life into unique
bits of America’s past. Her Middlefork Series, scheduled to begin releasing
July 2026, showcases character-centered home front stories spanning the
1940s-1970s. Each novel is filled with family, friends, romance, and adventure
– always wrapped in God’s power and grace.
Jessie is an award-winning author, Jesus-loving wife, and
homeschooling mom of three teenagers. Road trips, laughter, and space heaters
are some of her favorite things, and any day she doesn’t have to put on shoes
is a good day. Jessie lives in Indiana with her incredible family and Guster
the labradoodle, who naps in the most inconvenient places.
A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Jessie’s
debut middle grade novel, Power Up, was a Selah Awards finalist and won the
2020 Christian Indie Award for best middle grade fiction.
I want to thank you for taking the time to read my words and I hope you enjoy reading, and hearing about books as much as I do.
I pray you have a blessed day!
Sincerely,
Melanie
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