A Healing Heart by Angelo Beridenbach - Reviewed

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Healing Heart Abingdon Press (April 1, 2013) by Angela Breidenbach

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angela Breidenbach is a speaker/coach in mental and physical health, author of A Healing Heart April 2013 from Abingdon Press in the Quilts of Love series, Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life, Creative Cooking for Simple Elegance, and Creative Cooking for Colitis. Other works by Angela include compilation books and devotionals from Guidepost, Group, and articles in magazines, ezines, and newspapers. She is certified in mentor/peer counseling as a CTA life coach, as a Stephen Minister, and a weight loss/nutrition coach. Angela serves as an assisting minister (worship/prayer leader) for her congregation in Missoula, MT. Not only did she walk the hard line of deciding to donate her mom’s brain for the study of schizophrenia, but she’s also on the brain donation list at the Brain Bank-Harvard McLean Hospital.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Mara Keegan is an uber-successful mother and a widow of three years. She's been chasing success and all the "good things in life" for her family to make up for the cruel whim God played on them by taking her husband. In an effort to be the perfect mom, she decides to make a photo memory quilt, a graduation present for her daughter, Cadence.

She’s not yet finished when she experiences a heart attack. While Mara recuperates, she revisits the choices she's made that led to this physically and spiritually broken heart. The memory quilt must be finished in time for Cadence's big day, but Mara struggles with her burgeoning feelings for the man who must keep Mara's business going during her recovery, Joel Ryan. Can Joel find his way into Mara's heart and onto Cadence's quilt?

My Thoughts:
Angela Breidenbach has written a very relevant story of family, friends, faith and God's carefully designed plan for our lives.  This book gives clear and poignant meaning to the biblical truth that God does indeed work all things for our good and His glory if we believe on Him. 

Mara Keegan is in a very difficult time of life.  She is having to deal with profound loss without slowing down to grieve.  She pours herself out for her children and into her business to meet the ever changing needs of her family. And then....the author changes her circumstance in dramatic ways. The results aren't always easy nor pleasant, but what Mara learns through the process is priceless.  She isn't searching for the healing she needs, but God brings it to her in a way that she accepts (for the most part), and she is transformed by this!  Her whole entire family is transformed in big and small ways - all of this significant to the restoration of each life represented in this story.

I really relate to Mara's character and many of the ways that God sort of walks into the backdoor of her heart and recaptures her attention.  These times of drawing near to God - especially when we're kicking and screaming - are so very necessary.  I am thankful to God every day that He does that - even in fiction - to woo me to Him.  A Healing Heart - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Healing Heart, go HERE