DESERT GIFT by SALLY JOHN

Jillian Galloway is a radio host with a program on marriage. Now that her radio program has given her a platform, she has begun speaking in front of thousands about her newest book. A book she has written sharing her wisdom on having a successful marriage. She has been married to her husband, Jack, for twenty-four years. Their marriage has been rock solid. A marriage where they communicated daily and lived as though everything was perfect. It was until the morning they are to leave for Jill's West Coast tour. Jack doesn't carry his bags to the car. He walks Jill to the car and simply tells her, "I want a divorce." No warning. No nothing. He just places her in the car and tells her to have a good time. Can you imagine? I am reading these pages thinking I would down right kill this man. Who does this? They woke up happy and then despair takes over. The thing is, Jack, doesn't even know why. He just wants a divorce. This leaves, Jill, in a tail spin. She is lost and wondering if everything she ever thought was a lie.

Jill leaves with her assistant/friend, Gretchen. This is the friend I would want by my side. I love their relationship through this book. Jill is doing good until she is in front of hundreds of women and she flips. It finally hits her that she has lived a lie. She shares what has happened to her perfect marriage and as she does she finds a woman going through the same thing.

This is a book about journey and growth. The title says it all. When we are in our lowest times is often where we find the greatest blessings of all. I love how Sally John brings to light both, Jill's and Jack's feelings. We see what can happen when we look the other way. When we take our eyes off our marriage and place our focus on other things. Jack is a doctor and Jill is busy in her writing. The life they thought was perfect was only on the surface.

You will have to read this amazing book to find out what happens to the Galloways. I loved each and every page. I felt I could relate to the characters and it brought lessons to my own heart. I love when I can walk away from a book with nuggets of gold.

This book was a gift from Tyndale for it's review.

Sally John:

When the going gets tough—or weird or wonderful—the daydreamer gets going on a new story. Sally John has been tweaking life's moments into fiction since she read her first Trixie Belden mystery as a child.


Now an author of more than fifteen novels, Sally writes stories that reflect contemporary life. Her passion is to create a family, turn their world inside out, and then portray how their relationships change with each other and with God. Her goal is to offer hope to readers in their own relational and faith journeys.


Sally grew up in Moline, Illinois, graduated from Illinois State University, married Tim in 1973, and taught in middle schools. She is a mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother. A three-time finalist for the Christy Award, she also teaches writing workshops. Her books include the Safe Harbor series (coauthored with Gary Smalley), The Other Way Home series, The Beach House series, and In a Heartbeat series. Many of her stories are set in her favorite places of San Diego, Chicago, and small-town Illinois.


She and her husband currently live in southern California. Visit her Web site at http://www.sally-john.com/