For Time and Eternity by Allison Pittman - REVIEWED

“Sometimes the sky is grey. Or even black.”

“It may seem so, when it is covered by clouds. But behind the clouds, the sky is the same.” (p. 287)

The sky in Camilla Deardon’s life is clear and cloudless at the beginning of Allison Pittman’s latest book, For Time and Eternity. Despite the simplicity and security of her life, Camilla can only see the clouds of loneliness and the shadow of her father’s strict discipline. When young Nathan Fox enters her life, the sunshine of his smile and the warmth of his laughter stir Camilla’s heart as never before. Following Nathan’s bright smile and promises, Camilla enters a world unlike any she has ever known. Be the time her heart realizes the truth of her situation, she knows that what she perceived as sunshine in Nathan’s smile was really the dark clouds of deception that blocked the true Son from her heart.

Allison Pittman is to be applauded for the story presented in her latest book. She weaves a breathtaking tale of young love with a beauty and believability that captures the reader’s imagination entirely. Yet as the relationship develops between Camilla and Nathan and Camilla begins to be drawn back to the truth of God’s Word, the reader’s heart begins to break with the realization of the choice she must ultimately face. However, the truth of the gospel and the power of God’s Word is not to be denied, and placed beside the falsehood of a religious sect built upon human desire and the power to achieve one’s own salvation, the truth of God’s Word shines clear and bright.

As Camilla grows to spiritual and emotional maturity through the study of God’s Word, she gains the ability to discern the falsehood that has surrounded her family. Nathan’s desire to “be someone” in the eyes of his religious family renders him blind to Camilla’s discoveries. Whether or not this family will survive remains to be seen, and Allison Pittman will apparently tackle that subject – I hope – in the next book of the series Forsaking All Others.

For Time and Eternity addresses issues that began many years ago, and has continued to grown and deceive people even to this day. The story is both timely and timeless, and will cause Christians to examine their own heart as they read this moving tale. I highly recommend this novel!

About the Author:

Allison Pittman is the author of Stealing Home, the Crossroads of Grace series, and her nonfiction debut, Saturdays With Stella. A former high-school English teacher, she serves as director of the theater arts group at her church. She is also the co-president of a dynamic Christian writers group in the San Antonio, Texas area, where she makes her home with her husband and their three boys.