About the Book:
Maddie Johnson loved Shakespeare. Unlike everybody else she knew growing up, she seemed to understand him, enjoy him, more with every reading. It was partly because of this love that she drove from her home in rural Pennsylvania to college at Southern Utah University, home every summer to the Utah Shakespearean Festival. It was partly that, and partly the desire to get as far away as possible.
Maddie thought being in Utah would help her forget, that the stark beauty of the scenery and the power of the metaphor would be enough to clear her. They weren’t.
In her freshman year, she met and, after graduation, married a much older man, Robert Able, the first person Maddie had ever known who understood her love of Shakespeare.
At 21, Maddie felt too young to be married. At 23, she felt too young to be divorced.
Maddie was found dead on New Year’s Day, clutching a gun to her chest. Everyone assumed she committed suicide. Everyone except her father.
A Gentle Thief is Maddie’s story, and that of her father and the young attorney he hires who becomes devoted to him and the truth of his cause.
A Gentle Thief is a book nearly 20 years in the making, inspired by a case the author worked on while a lawyer.
My Thoughts:
This book contains a message that I wish everyone, including myself, could really understand and live by every day. More than that, I wish we, as people in general, weren't so thick-headed that it took real trials, multiple messed up relationships and missed opportunities to realize what is really important in this very brief life on earth. More than that, when life is going along smoothly and we are blessed with people who love us and are able to have fullfilling jobs, we STILL miss the most important thing sometimes! I'm just glad God is longsuffering with us all!!
I like the way this book moves between two different story lines, and then, quite unexpectedly, and seamlessly, ties them together with an impact that will really penetrate the reader's heart. If you like realistic fiction, and don't mind getting involved with some messy relationships, you will enjoy this story a great deal. And though there is no strong faith thread in the story, the take-away value is meaningful and applicable no matter the direction from which you approach the story. I am happy to recommend this story to you!
About the Author:
Amanda Dickson is a radio announcer, author, newspaper columnist, and speaker based in Salt Lake City. Amanda earned her B.A. in English and her Juris Doctorate at the University of Utah. She practiced law for a brief time before returning to her first love of radio. Amanda taught Mass Communication Law at the University of Utah, becoming a favorite professor among the students. Amanda published her first book in the fall of 2007, Wake Up to a Happier Life. Her second book, Change It Up, came out in October of 2009. Her new book, Friends for Life, is due out in January of 2012. Amanda is married and the step-mother of three children. She is also the indulgent mother of two children.
For more info, go to http://www.amandadickson.com/.
No comments:
Post a Comment