Divine Appointments

by Kelli Albright

February 28, 2011

As I was nearly finished reading "Divine Appointments" by Charlene Ann Baumbich, a headline in our local newspaper read: "Staffing Changes Loom...". It could have easily been straight out of this book; this book is SO timely!

Behind her tough exterior, Josie Brooks, a consultant for Diamond Mutual, is a single, menopausal, and deep down, lonely person. She is used to being on the move with her career, and manages her "bubble" quite efficiently, not making room for others. But her bubble soon pops. A snowglobe of a river and landscape on a shelf in her condo involves audible and visual spells that begin to get a little freaky. The author alternates looking at one character to the next, peeling away their work-a-day exteriors, peering to see who they are outside of the office walls.
`One long-time employee, likeable Barb DeWitt, is not immune to the changes at Diamond Mutual, and also loses her job. But this praying woman plays a key role in demonstrating, as the Bible says, that "all things work together for good...".