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Good Subject Matter, Okay Read

by Leah Courtney

October 1, 2012

I'm a little torn in reviewing this book. The subject matter (healing a marriage when abuse has been involved) is good. It's a subject not often addressed in Christian fiction, and I appreciate Joanne Bischof's treatment of the subject. However, the book itself just wasn't one of my favorites.

Gideon and Lonnie are forced into a marriage by her abusive controlling father. After marriage, Lonnie discovers that her new husband has the same mean and controlling tendencies. Lonnie, with her faith in Christ, must learn how to have hope and trust in God even though she can't trust these men. Gideon, meanwhile, is mentored by an older man who takes the couple in. And Gideon learns to trust in a God he never believed in.

I liked the setting of the story- North Carolina's own Blue Ridge Mountains. One of my favorite genres is historical fiction, so I liked the time period. The characters just weren't well developed though. I didn't feel like I really got to know them. I thought this made the story rather choppy. It just didn't seem to flow. The subject matter, as I said before, was handled well. And I liked the way the story progressed.