Three Reasons to Read The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass

I receive free electronic advanced reader copies of these books through an arrangement between the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion on NetGalley’s website. I only review books on my blog that I really love.

The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass has the power to delight and entertain while inspiring readers to believe in second chances.

Don’t Miss This Quirky, Unconventional Romance

I couldn’t put this book down, even though it doesn’t neatly fit into any of my favorite categories of books. Yes, it’s inspirational, but not in the traditional way. It’s also a romance, but not in the boy-meets-girl-they-fall-in-love kind of way. And from the moment Powner introduces Pearl the pig, the reader can expect the unexpected.

It’s one of the best books I’ve read in 2023 (and I’ve had a lot of favorites this year).

The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass

By Katie Powner, Bethany House Publishers, September 26, 2023, 368 pages.

Pete Ryman never aspired to a career as a garbage collector as a child. Nor did he ever think he’d end up back in Sleeping Grass, the tiny Montana town nestled between Shelby and nowhere. The place where his life fell apart at age eleven. But at the ripe old age of 50, Pete and his potbellied pig, Pearl, collect garbage each weekday morning. They have exactly two friends—Windy Ray and his three-legged dog Apisi.

Pete has changed over the years. He no longer goes to bars and doesn’t fight (he hopes). Pete has no family that claims him, but he can live with that. He plays dominoes with his friend every Monday night, and they go out for ice cream on Fridays. Folks generally act friendly in Sleeping Grass, and no one seems to remember how Pete, his sister, and his mom used to live there decades ago. Some might call it a meager existence. Pete calls it safe.

And then his sister shows up on his doorstep with a nephew he didn’t know he had.

Wilma Jacobson can’t seem to move closer to her adult children and grandchildren. Especially now that Pete Ryman has moved to town. For three years, she has left small gifts for him on her garbage can but hasn’t mustered up the courage to have a conversation with him. The guilt holds her hostage. If she could just confess to him how selfish she’d been all those years ago, she’d feel a lot better.

While she awaits a bright idea on how to talk to Pete, Wilma despairs over her financial mess. She doesn’t want to let her sons know she’s gone into debt. Her late husband, Herb, had taken care of the family business, and those pesky bills threaten to overwhelm her.

A lucky fall brings Pete inside her home and provides another opportunity to help her best friend.

What I Loved About This Book

Powner skillfully weaves the threads of four disparate residents of Sleeping Grass into a beautiful tapestry of life. Hope and humor make up the warp, while grace and restoration create the weft.

Readers who’ve made life-altering mistakes will relate to Wilma and Pete. And anyone who has regrets will identify with Lily and Windy Ray. This multi-generational, heart-warming story has a romance all its own, proving you don’t need two protagonists to fall in love in order to craft a successful rom-com.