The Saints of Whistle Grove

By: Katie Schuermann

Narrated by: Katie Schuermann

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

After 150 years of preaching the Gospel, the little country parish of Whistle Grove has closed its doors for good, but the faithful Rev. Edmund G. Oglethorpe remains. There is the empty building and the crumbling cemetery to maintain, and who else will bury old Miriam Werth when the time comes? Told through the voices of generations past and present, "The Saints of Whistle Grove" follows the journey of a son in search of his mother, a daughter in need of connection, a family without a home, and the cemetery that brings them all together.

Join the blessed saints of Whistle Grove in pondering the wondrous mystery that, whoever believes in Christ, “though he die, yet shall he live.”

©2023 Katie Schuermann (P)2023 Katie Schuermann

Painting Pictures with Words

Katie's latest book is part poetry, part prose with lyrical undertones throughout. She paints pictures with words creating characters with unique personalities (quirks and all!), landscapes that become as familiar as a character, and the Church who stands firm throughout the ages, even when it appears otherwise. Katie does not shy away from the hard stuff of life~ war, death, divorce, barrenness, loneliness, jealousy~but embraces each difficulty with compassion. She manages to reflect joy even in sorrow. Somehow, these saints at Whistle Grove become our faithful friends on this journey of life, even into death.
It was a delight to hear Katie read her own work, and even sing a few hymns!

Beautifully written and recorded!

This story is such a beautiful piece of art that all can relate to and enjoy. The recording matches the beauty of the story. Tempo, sound quality, artistic reading all fit together perfectly. Please treat yourself to this treasure!

The housework buddy you need

I can't pick up my house by myself. Katie Schuermann reading me her book bought the place 9 hours of proper attention for which many people are grateful.

Wonderful story, beautiful reading, blessed company.

The dead are going to rise in the end

I'm normally a physical book person instead of an audiobook person, but I was gifted a copy of this audiobook. I already had plans to reread this novel when the gift was made, so it provided me an ideal opportunity to give the audiobook a try.

Since this novel contains the stories of so many interconnected characters over a long period of time, it is an easy story to come back to, and I imagine it is a story in which new details will always present themselves. We learn with the characters how to have hope in all circumstances, and that this hope does not end in the closing of a congregation or even in death. Both the living and the dead wait for their hope of the last day, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal life. Learning how to wait with these characters is a pleasure.

The audiobook benefits from having actual singing in the moments which include hymns and pieces of the liturgy. It is also fitting for a story such as this to be an audiobook as the confessions of faith by many characters throughout are actually spoken in proclamation. It is still edifying to read these in print, but hearing an actual model of proclaiming out loud these words we may sometimes feel tempted to keep to ourselves is valuable.

I will continue to be a physical book person more than an audiobook person, but I will enjoy owning both versions of this story to return to again and again. (Now if only I could be left an inheritance of "one theological library" so I won't continually feel jealous when I get to that part of the story. Oh well.)

A New Favorite

This book has quickly become a favorite of mine. I love the way the stories of the various characters throughout time are expertly woven together. Each of the individual stories is beautiful on its own, but the story they tell together is rich and timeless. I laughed out loud and cried listening to and reading this book. I could read it over and over again and find new things to love every time. Getting to listen to it was wonderful. I had already read the physical version, but this reading by the author helped me notice things I had overlooked the first time. The performance is excellent and engaging. It kept my mind from wandering. I look forward to listening and reading again and again over the years.

Blessed to be read to by Katie Schuermann

I deeply value it when authors choose to read their own works, as it offers listeners a unique insight into their narrative style, character voices, and pronunciation. As Katie Schuermann reads The Saints of Whistle Grove, she seamlessly immerses the audience in the tale, skillfully articulating the various settings, adopting distinct voices for each character, and showcasing her remarkable singing talent (what a treat!). It was a pleasure to listen to Katie read the anthology of stories surrounding the – to quote Katie – “nave to grave” of Whistle Grove’s church from various interwoven perspectives.

Katie does well blending these perspectives in a way that continues to entice the reader into the next chapter. The Saints of Whistle Grove is a refreshing view of the highs and lows of life evoking emotions of love, laughter, heartache, pain, and joy. This book provides gentle guidance in understanding the good work of the Lord through each character's actions. As someone who does not follow the Christian faith, I enjoy that Katie creates an accessible space for readers from all walks of life to join her in this journey of Whistle Grove.

I wholeheartedly recommend listening to The Saints of Whistle Grove for anyone interested in having an eloquent companion in your ear who authentically captures the essence of life.

These Saints will go marching into your heart!

All of Katie Schuermann’s previous publications seem to have prepared her for such a book as this. The stories of these saints of Whistle Grove are brilliantly intertwined in a kind of hymn of history. Each vivid, sometimes lyrical, and often moving chapter serves as a verse of praise for the work of God in the losses and joys experienced by His children. Though the stories and time periods change, the characters and their offspring keep reappearing to sing a unified chorus together: we have been baptized into Christ, we have been crucified with Christ, and we will live forever with Christ.

One cannot help but come away from this read with a deeper appreciation for what our ancestors endured: for their faith, their community, their country. Katie’s beautiful prose reflects the “coming alive” of the resurrection by breathing a spirit of reality and familiarity into the description of each character, location, and time period. My own ancestral black and white photos virtually jump out of their frames now, the figures pleading to be remembered and researched. Thanks to this novel, I am reminded that their blood runs through me and has contributed to making me who I am (both the sinner and the saint).

The author-read audio version of The Saints of Whistle Grove has the advantage of highlighting Katie’s additional talents as a musician and performer. Katie’s singing of the hymns and liturgical pieces draws attention to the theme (or is it its own character?) of the Word: on gravestones, in letters, in consolation, in Absolution, in the Flesh. An additional advantage of the audiobook is hearing the voices of the characters as the author hears them. Developing the voices of so many people, and at different times in their lives, was certainly no easy task. I commend Katie for her additional efforts to make this masterpiece accessible to an even greater audience “who has ears to hear” more often than they have time to sit and read.