The cover caught my eye. The description had my attention. The story had my heart. This is a wonderful novel. I was taken by Sarah right away. Why? Her honesty. This is a girl who desires perfection. She strives for nothing less than perfect. She wants to succeed in everything she does. Failure isn't an option. But Sarah soon realizes that one choice leads to another and one poor choice could change her life forevermore.
But Sarah's life is woven with deep hurts. I could relate to her on so many levels at carrying the wounds of losing her father. My heart bled with her as she shares her family circumstances with a friend. Friendship is something Sarah needs. Seems every friend has advice, but is it advice that is good for Sarah? I love her friendship that blossoms with Audrey. What I love even more is at first glance each of these ladies admits that they didn't like one another. But we see that God knows exactly what He's doing as He places people along our path.
Sarah's co-worker, Megan, got under my skin at first. She gives Sarah advice. Tells her exactly what she should do. Advice that could leave a scar forever. What's sad is that Megan wholeheartedly believes her advice to be wise. Before I could judge, Megan, I had to realize that this is how she was raised. She was full of self and if there was an interruption, get rid of it! But as the story grows, Megan too grows by the life and choices of Sarah.
Matt is a character that kind of lives by the seat of his pants. Maturity hasn't grasped hold of him yet, but as we see through Matt, God is forever growing us and gives us circumstances in life to grow us and bring us closer to Him.
Matt doesn't have a relationship with Jesus. Sarah grew up in church. She knows scripture, but like many, she has grown angry with God. Again, I could relate with Sarah. Her heart aches for her father. Going to her mother's home stresses her out. She misses her dad and his absence has Sarah simply lost.
I love how the writers brought out Sarah's relationship with her mother. Her mama is a deep believer, but too often she ends up preaching at Sarah. I too have made this mistake. Her mama feels this is what Sarah needs to hear, but it only pushes Sarah away more. Through the novel we see their relationship grow and they learn how to communicate with one another.
I love how the writers brought out Sarah's relationship with her mother. Her mama is a deep believer, but too often she ends up preaching at Sarah. I too have made this mistake. Her mama feels this is what Sarah needs to hear, but it only pushes Sarah away more. Through the novel we see their relationship grow and they learn how to communicate with one another.
This novel is one that looks into the heart of a girl who desires success and doesn't want anything to get in the way of that. We see her struggle. We witness her question herself. I loved how there were people who literally shared with Sarah about having the baby, giving the baby up for adoption and having an abortion.
This isn't a novel just about making the choice to have a baby or have an abortion. It's about family, love and healing. It's about characters finding their way through choices. About what's important and what isn't. What's truly valuable and what isn't.
God moves in mysterious ways and He is reaching out to Sarah in ways that makes her realize it's Him. This is such a precious novel. Her heart is so conflicted. She wants to make the right choice, but what if she doesn't? This is a novel that every single reader can relate to on one level or another. The characters are so real. I love how each character peeled back like an onion to reveal the deepest part of their spirit.
This novel was a gift from Thomas Nelson for sharing my review with you.
Rebecca St. James is both a Grammy and multiple Dove Award recipient as well as a best-selling author whose books include Wait for Me and What Is He Thinking?? Her leading role in the pro-life film Sarah's Choice won critical acclaim. A passionate spokesperson for Compassion International, Rebecca has provided sponsorship to more than 30,000 children through her worldwide concerts.
Nancy Rue is the best selling author of more than 100 books for teens, tweens, and adults, two of which have won Christy Awards. Nancy is also a popular speaker and radio show guest due to her expertise in tween and teen issues. She and her husband, Jim, have raised a daughter of their own and now share their Tennessee lake home with two yellow labs.
