Amazon Dorene Meyer Category:  Mainstream Publisher: Word Alive Press ISBN-10:  1897373643 Type: Fiction Pages: 400 Copyright: March 30, 2009 ISBN-13: 9781897373644 Is it really possible to forgive someone who has greatly wronged you or someone you love? And how can there be both justice and mercy? In The Little Ones, Colin Hill must face these questions when he and his wife, Sarah, become foster parents to the children of Colin’s former abuser. As the past and present collide, the love of God pierces through the darkness and true healing begins, for everyone. The Little Ones is a compelling story that draws you into the lives of Colin and Sarah as they become foster parents to two precious little girls who have been damaged and wounded by abuse. Dorene Meyer approaches the difficult challenges faced by foster parents with compassion and a deep understanding. This fast paced story is a thriller filled with drama, adventure, love, hate, danger, forgiveness and God's mercy. Throughout the book, the focus is always on the promises of God to never forsake His children. With faith, love and courage, Colin and Sarah overcome every obstacle and provide a safe, happy, God-centered home for "The Little Ones." Really a touching, inspiring read! Dorene Meyer has done it again! Crying Wind Author of "Crying Wind" "My Searching Heart" "When the Stars Danced" and "Thunder in Our Hearts, Lightning in Our Veins" Excerpt Colin wondered if he was doing the right thing. How long could a little child remain in this state – disassociated from everything around her? Did she even know that he was there? Was it possible for her to learn what good touching was – that a hug could be healthy and healing… For the first seven years of his life, Colin had known what it was to be loved by both his mother and his father. Then they had both been killed in a plane crash and Colin had been thrust into an abusive foster home. He had in turn been sexually abused by the father, Amos Quill, and by the three oldest sons Russell, Garby and Bryan. Colin had tried his best through the years to look out for Joshua and for his younger sister Rebecca. But in some ways, he felt like he had failed them both. Especially Rebecca… The thought of her still stabbed like a knife in his heart. She had been so young… To be driven to such despair as to take her own life… Colin looked down at the child in his arms and wondered what chance she had in life. Had she ever known the love of a mother or father? And how much abuse had she suffered in her short lifetime? Colin wished with all his heart that he could turn back the clock and swoop in and rescue her before anyone had had a chance to hurt her in any way. But here she was in his arms – damaged – broken… He felt so helpless! “God!” he cried out silently, “There’s got to be a way! There’s got to be a way to reach her.” He lifted his eyes to the heavens and tears began to roll down his cheeks as he prayed. “Oh God, there’s so many hurting people. And it’s just going on and on. It’s the third generation now. And I thought that Joshua was healed but now I’m afraid... And I thought that I was healed but I’m feeling as if I’ve been shot full of holes…” The CD that Sarah had put on was still playing softly in the background. But suddenly the words were clear and plain. And it was as if God Himself was gently whispering the words to Colin. They flowed over his soul like a healing balm: “He won’t let you go the moment that you say come and live in me take me all the way what He said is true He will never leave you forever by your side…it’s true He won’t let you go though the seasons change He’s never been so close He’s just a prayer away when you hear the Father’s call when He’s calling to you run into His arms don’t hesitate to do it He won’t let you go when He’s forever by your side he wants you to know Jesus has paid the price He wants you to go forever in paradise getting close to Him is really all you have to do and even when you die He will still be by your side He won’t let you go His love will never change let Him hold you close closer everyday He would have died for you had you been the only one don’t you ever doubt…it’s true He won’t let you go forever by your side he wants you to know Jesus has paid the price He wants you to go forever in paradise give your heart to Him is really all you have to do and even when you die He will still be by your side getting close to Him is really all you have to do even when you die He will still be by your side He will never let you go this, I know He will never let you go through the ages time after time He will never let you go.” Colin hadn’t realized that he was crying. But as the song ended and silence filled the room, he knew that the great well of sorrow that had been in his heart had been replaced by a fountain of joy. There were still tears but they were tears of health and healing now. Suddenly Colin felt two tiny arms encircling his chest. He looked down into Verena’s eyes and saw, to his amazement, that they were filled with compassion – and something else that he couldn’t put his finger on – a bond perhaps – a link of understanding between them of shared suffering…? Colin held his breath, sensing that even a tiny breath could break this gossamer thread of trust that hung between them. Somehow his deep sorrow had penetrated the barrier that she had built up between herself and an unbearable reality. And in that moment, Colin was suddenly transported back to the little house where he had grown up and for the first time in twenty five years, Colin remembered what it felt like to sit on his Daddy’s knee. His father was a great story-teller and Colin had sat enthralled as the tales had been told of life on the trap-line in the winter or of the fishing boats in the summer. Colin quickly searched his mind for one of the stories that his father or grandfather had told or better yet, a tale of his own. If he could remember back to the days before his parents had died… Suddenly Colin remembered! The robin with the broken wing… He smiled down at Verena and spoke in a quiet, gentle voice, “Did you know that I once had a pet robin?” Her eyes opened wide as she slowed moved her head side to side. “Well, he wasn’t exactly a pet…” Colin felt laughter bubbling up from deep inside. He was telling his foster daughter a story just like his dad had told him a story so many years ago! “This little robin,” Colin continued enthusiastically, “We called him “Tweeter”; he was just a baby when I found him.” Colin looked down in time to see a tentative smile forming on Verena’s lips and joy bubbled up in him once more. “Tweeter was so tiny that I could hold him cupped in my hands – and I was just young myself then. I must have been only four or five; Jamie my sister was older; she must have been about ten or eleven at the time.” A shadow fell across Verena’s face at the mention of a sister and Colin hurried on. “Jamie was really cool; she didn’t mind helping me find worms. And she helped me to know how to take care of him. I thought he would be safer in a box with grass on the bottom but Jamie knew that it was better if he stayed outside.” Colin paused. “Did I tell you that he had a broken wing?” Verena made a slight motion with her head indicating that he had not. “Oops, sorry. Well anyway, that’s why he needed someone to take care of him because he had a broken wing.” Verena spoke in a tiny voice, “I had a broken arm.” Overcome with emotion, Colin could barely speak. “We do want to take care of you Verena – Sarah and I – we want to make sure that you have good food to eat and nice clothes to wear…” “And a teddy bear,” Verena spoke softly. “Yes! Would you like it right now? It’s yours to have whenever you want it. You can hold it at bedtime or during the day.” Verena nodded slowly. Colin stood with her still in his arms. Verena rested her head on his shoulder and kept her arms around his chest as they walked to the baby’s room to get her teddy bear. On the way back, she held onto it with both hands, hugging it close. Colin thought about his teddy bear that had been somehow lost during his parent’s funeral or maybe when they’d emptied out the house. People had been so busy arguing about what should be done with him and nobody had seemed to care about what he really needed. Colin sat down in the rocking chair again. Verena rested her head against his chest and hugged her teddy bear. “Did Tweeter have a Mommy and Daddy?” She had spoken the words so quietly that Colin had almost missed them. Then he had to pause a moment to think of the answer. Verena was talking to him! And somehow she was relating her own life to the little robin’s. But Colin knew that the little bird had been abandoned by its parents and had died later that summer when someone had shot it with a BB gun… Colin chose his words carefully. “Yes, Tweeter had a Mommy and Daddy but they weren’t able to take care of him.” “Did his Mommy die?” “I don’t know.” “Did my Mommy die?” Colin hesitated before answering with a simple, “Yes”. Silently he prayed to the Lord that she would not ask the next obvious question – How had her mother died? But Verena’s thoughts were traveling on a different line. “He’s still alive?” Colin could feel her anxiety. She was no longer resting comfortably in his arms but sitting tense and rigid – waiting for his answer. Colin knew who the “he” was. Verena wanted to know if her father had somehow died too. “No” Colin finally answered. Verena began to tremble and her voice shook on every syllable as she asked in a low whisper, “Does – he – know – where – I – am?” Colin nodded slowly, overcome by the wall of terror rising up between them. He knew what it was to be afraid of Russell. He’d spent most of his life being afraid of him. But that was over now! “Verena!” Colin’s voice was still hoarse with suppressed emotion, “Verena, no one’s going to hurt you ever again. Do you hear me? No one’s ever, ever going to hurt you again. I promise you. I promise you.” She had fallen back onto his chest again, still trembling and weeping silently now. Colin held her close and began to gently rock her, speaking all the while, “You’re safe now Verena, you’re safe now. No one’s going to hurt you. You’re safe…” How long before her tremblings ceased and her weeping was over – and how long before Colin’s own tears stopped falling, he couldn’t afterwards have said. The minutes merged and folded into one another and it wasn’t until sometime later that he realized that he was holding a sleeping child. She had fallen asleep in his arms – trusting him completely. It was at that moment that Colin knew that he was committed to this little girl for a lifetime. He would do whatever it took to legally adopt her. He had promised and he would follow through. No one – no one! – would ever hurt her again.

Maranatha News summer 2009
In their first experience as foster parents, Colin and Sarah Hill find themselves caring for the two daughters of the man who sexually abused Colin as a child. Under six years old, the girls already show the signs of severe neglect and abuse—Emmeline lashes out physically; Verena eats from the garbage like a stray dog.
Chief of Police Colin works to solve a kidnapping, only to begin to suspect that not only is the girls’ father out of jail and back in the remote Native reservation of Rabbit Lake, Ontario, but that he is also behind the kidnapping. Worse, he’ll do whatever it takes to get his daughters back.
Meyer effortlessly weaves together suspense, deep theology, and the contemporary issue of the lasting scars of child abuse, as her characters seek to answer the question “Can God be both merciful and just?”
This 394-page soft cover is available at bookstores across Canada, and from Meyer’s website (www.dorenemeyer.com).


North Roots August/Sept 2010
please see attached JPG of review.