Ona Mae’s Deli and Bait Shop

By Renee Hodges

Description:

Bekah’s Sunday-school faith is no match for her grown-up problems. With her fledgling marriage breaking up, she opts for a do-over. Whitman, Alabama, the town of her college alma mater, seems like a good choice. New degree. New friends. New life. Bekah 2.0.

Life on campus and her work in Ona Mae’s Deli & Bait Shop introduce Bekah to a surprising range of diverse voices. Each offers appealing promises of truth and peace. Growing up, she had been taught that God would give her those things, but he seems like a fairy tale now. She plunges headlong into reinventing herself, opening up to new people and experiences.

Whitman is in the midst of its own makeover, exchanging railroad tracks for bike trails and hushpuppies for hummus. As Bekah navigates her choices, the town is forced to deal with fifty-year-old wounds when the mystery of the disappearance of five missing Civil Rights workers is unearthed.

Healing is needed for Bekah and Whitman. Sounds simple. Right?

A sensitive look at interracial understanding and the challenges of conflicting world views, Ona Mae’s Deli & Bait Shop is perfect Christian Book Club fiction told through the lives of a community strengthened by forgiveness and grace.

Book Takeaway:

Sin is real, but so is forgiveness. The only thing that answers all of the questions and problems of this culture is God’s truth. But, this truth needs to be communicated in an open, winsome way. Bridges of understanding are built with respect and relationships.

Why the author wrote this book:

So many Christian novels seem to have only sugary-sweetness while real Christians struggle in messy ways that can’t always be wrapped up in a pretty bow. This novel addresses serious questions about absolute truth, the need for forgiveness, and the authority of scripture with a cast of relatable characters whose flaws show. Different skin tones, different ages, different life experiences and worldviews. They’re all looking for the same thing. Peace.