Books make life interesting!

Last weekend I found a few hours of quiet and enjoyed a rare all-in-one session with a new book by Stephanie Grace Whitson entitled Jacob's List. I finished this book almost a week ago, and as I returned it to the library today there were two words that came to mind....loss and redemption. The synapsis on the back cover alerts the reader that there is loss to be overcome, but only by reading the entire story do you get to enjoy how individually and poignantly each person copes with such loss. For one, it may be something that causes them to become angry and bitter while that same loss may be the very thing that tenderizes one's heart toward God and leads them to His redeeming grace.

Stephanie Whitson deals masterfully and realistically with a lot of very tough issues in this story. She doesn't try to erase or skirt around what is hurtful and difficult in our lives nor the fact that even during dark times we can experience bright moments of joy that give us hope to keep going. Most certainly her style will keep the pages turning! The ending was satisfying to me in that it left you open to possibilities but promised nothing certain. That was real to me. Life is like that.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was a great story for a quiet-all-in-one reading session. I was left pondering how important even our small acts of kindness are perceived by those around us. Sometimes just being that quiet, prayerful listener means as much as sharing an encouraging word. I look forward to reading more stories by this author!