Nine-year-old Abby
thinks her father, a preacher, has all the answers until tragedy
strikes. The family is on vacation enjoying the beach. Josh, her
four-year-old brother, is tired. Matt, her older brother, volunteers
to carry him, but John decides to carry Josh himself. As they walk
along the road to their cottage, a car burst on them striking John in
the legs. Josh goes flying, hits his head on the pavement, and is
killed. The family is stunned. They can’t believe what happened.
When they return
home, the tragedy remains with them. John retreats from the family
and God. With John unavailable, Matt begins a destructive course of
action that leads to more tragedy. Abby watches her family dissolve
around her, not knowing what to do. Her mother, Renee, knows they
need to move on from this tragedy, but she, too, is stuck.
This is a beautiful,
sad, emotional story told from the viewpoint of nine-year-old Abby.
She is a thoroughly believable character. She watches what goes on
around her, not really knowing how to interpret it. It’s a reminder
that when tragedy strikes, parents need to be mindful of how their
behavior is affecting the children.
The story is one of
faith. John, the father, travels a long road to come back to his
family and regain his faith. It makes you want to cry, but it is also
a heart warming story of how the family sticks together in this dark
period.
I highly recommend
this book. It’s well written. The setting draws you in and
serves as a good background for the characters. However, the best
part of the book is the light shown on a family in tragedy and
recovery.
I received this book
from Shiloh Run Press for this review.
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