The Crossing by Seita Jales

The Crossing is not a pretty story with a fairytale ending where everyone lives happily ever after. Actually it is a gritty, down-to-earth, real life narrative centered around a ten-year-old unsolved school bus murder and the lasting effects it has had on several witnesses and the people in their lives. Two of the students on board the bus on that fateful night experience symptoms of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Claudia Campbell experiences increasing bouts of anxiety attacks and her spending habits have gotten out of control. Police officer Casio Hightower struggles with out-of-control bursts of rage that physically harm the people he loves most. When Claudia's husband Victor, an assistant DA reopens the case in hopes of helping his wife, Casio determines to help him solve the case. As new clues come to light, secrets of the past are revealed that change everything they believed to be true. The Crossing was a new reading experience for me. Just when I thought I knew how everything would turn out, something totally unexpected and/or shocking would occur. Interspersed between present day narrative were the last thoughts of the murder victim as she lay dying. Although this did not contribute to the solving of the case, it did add extra insight to the story. The book is well written with evident thought given to the characters and their unique reactions to their shared experience with an emphasis on how faith made a difference in their circumstances. Although The Crossing is very different than the books I usually choose, I would highly recommend it for its honest and insightful look at how one event can change a life forever. This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing

Softly and tenderly

Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck
This book follows Jade as she wades through some of life's toughest issues. She says she feels like she's in the middle of a soap opera and I would have to agree. Some parts of the story and it's characters certainly weren't as believable as they could've been. "Jade begins to question everything she thought she knew about family, love, and motherhood", but in the end she "begins to see a future that doesn't rest on the power of her past, but in the goodness of God's tender mercies."
This book had an interesting story line that kept me guessing about what would happen next. However, I feel it focused too much on the negative and the bad things that happened and not enough on how God could be glorified through all that went on. I also feel like the story left me hanging - I finished the last chapter and was really wondering why the story was over right then. It was like my book was without the last two chapters! I appreciate the points made about forgiveness - there was forgiveness on many fronts in this book - and I think it makes you evaluate your own life to see if you, too, have secrets that need to be shared.
This book was provided free of charge from Thomas Nelson. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The Wonder of Your love by Beth Wiseman

Katie Ann meets an Amish man named Eli who is visiting Canaan for a family event. Eli is a widower who has just seen the last of his kinner marry and move out of the "haus." Now he plans to travel and experience the freedom that a man raising 6 children on his own could never have. Meeting Katie Ann puts a slight crimp in those plans and he wonders if the Lord might not have a different plan in store for him?
Katie Ann and Eli struggle to maintain their relationship as "best friends" but both must come to face the fact that they care for each other much more than just friends do, and make some difficult decisions about where to go from there.
Side stories pop up in the book, including Lucy's, Mrs. Dash's, and Danielle's. (I'm hoping to see her next Land of Canaan book focus on Danielle) My only complaint about this book is that I felt there should have been a little more information on Lucy and her outcome, and Mrs. Dash as well. We never get to hear how things turn out for either of these new mothers. While it's tempting to hate Lucy for what happened with Ivan, you have to realize that she, too, is a victim of Ivan's wandering and irresponsible ways.
Kudos to Beth Wiseman for creating a vivid and engaging community of Amish people that, unlike many other author's Amish characters, are flawed and real. I love Amish fiction, but I lose interest quickly when the author creates a "too perfect to be real" plastic Amish community. Beth's Amish people are faithful and good, yet they struggle to do the right thing and deal with painful life events, just like the rest of us!
I received this book in e-book format free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255|