*Varenka by Bernadette Watts

Varenka is a lovely picture book about a widow whose fears and struggles with faith are mingled with loving her neighbor and trusting the God who does not disappoint.

*Varenka by Bernadette Watts, NorthSouth Books. 32 pages.

• Reading Level: Picture books, Ages 4-8
• Recommended For: Ages 4-10

Varenka is a widow who lives comfortably in her cottage in Russia until the day her fleeing neighbors urge her to join them and escape the war. The soldiers are getting nearer every day. But Varenka cannot leave. If she escapes, who will offer refuge to others?

To quiet her fears, that night before she goes to bed she prays to God (represented by a Russian Orthodox icon on a shelf) to build a wall around her house and protect her. As the sun goes down, peace surrounds the house, but she does not see a wall.

The next day she finds an old man with his goat and Varenka offers them shelter in her home. That night she prays again that God would build a wall around her house. Again the forest is quiet, but no wall appears. The next day and the next Varenka invites more refugees: first an artist, and then a little girl into her home. All of them pray for a wall. Why doesn’t God answer? Silence answers. The peaceful silence…of falling snow. Lots and lots of snow.

This is a lovely literary tale with both an old-world feel and a fresh reminder that war is more present than dragons or glass mountains or talking birds found in many classic fairy tales. The illustrations are a rustic folk style very different from Watts’s usual style, very suitable to this story.

Varenka’s fears and her struggle with faith, mingled with loving her neighbor and trusting the God who does not disappoint make this a marvelous Story glowing with Truth.

Overall Rating: 4.75 out of 5

• Literary/Artistic Rating: 4.5
• Worldview Rating: 4.5

Remember, unless a book is starred, a review is not necessarily a recommendation. Read more about our ratings here.

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Book Review: The Golden Plate by Bernadette Watts is a well-told story of a girl who finds that she cannot escape her conscience when she gives into temptation.
• Resource: Truth and Story, the post about how TRUTH is different than truth and STORY than story.
• Book Review: The Carver and the Queen is a literary novel for teens that is also set in Russia.

We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program; purchases you make through affiliate links like the one below may earn us a commission. Read more here.

Buy this book on amazon.