AD #Gifted
I can think of no better way to begin this review, than with this, the opening line from The Way It Should Be by Christina Suzann Nelson.
“The MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS are those that survive a storm and find their glory in the restoration.”
My review
Isn’t that absolutely breath-taking? When I tell you that this book had me completely hooked from the very first line, you’d better believe it.
This is the story of two familes, unconnected, but both torn apart in similar ways. We discover the shared pain of the past – which manifests itself differentgly for each of the characters. As the chapters unfold, we see how they are drawn together, an unspoken bond and at the heart of the story – the many-faceted sides of parenting. Of love, of loss and the thin line between hope and despair.
I loved this book so much. I couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out what happened, but found myself bereft as I closed the book. This one has had such an impact on me, I know I will read it again and again.
The story flows beautifully, and dotted throughout the book, the occasional one-liner that just absolutely floors you.
For me as an atheist, there was slightly too much about God and faith, but it is such an important, integral part of the story that it doesn’t detract in any way.
An absolute gem, I can’t recommend this book highly enough – 5/5.
The author
CBA bestselling author Christina Suzann Nelson writes stories that focus on changing legacies from dysfunction to hope. Her novel More Than We Remember received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist, and her debut novel was named a Library Journal Best Book of 2017 and a Foreword INDIES 2017 Book of the Year. Christina is a member of Oregon Christian Writers and ACFW, where she has served as the northwest zone director. She lives in Oregon’s gorgeous Willamette Valley with her husband of 26 years and their children. Find her online at www.christinasuzannnelson.com
The book
After years of estrangement, the lives of Zara Mahoney and her twin sister, Eve, are suddenly and completely intertwined again. Eve’s troubled lifestyle causes the state to take custody of her two children and contact Zara and her husband, asking them to consider foster care. Newlywed Zara thought she’d finally been given a fresh start and feels wholly unprepared to care for a niece and nephew whose existence she wasn’t even aware of.
Meanwhile, Eve may have a real chance to start over this time with the help of Tiff Bradley, who’s dedicated to helping women everyone else has given up on after facing a heartbreaking tragedy in her own family.
Over the course of one summer, all three women’s hearts and lives hang in the balance as Eve desperately works toward a new life. Can they redefine their expectations of how life should be to find the hope they—and those they love—so desperately need?
My thanks to Love Books Tours, Christina Suzann Nelson and Bethany House Fiction, for my #gifted copy and the opportunity to take part in the tour.
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