I have been blessed to read every book penned by Marybeth Whalen. She has a style all her own. It's almost as though you could pick up a book, without knowing the author, and after reading it you would know, yep, that's Marybeth Whalen. Her writing style is easy and classy. Her focus is always Christ, but she has this gift for telling a story within a story. Most likely, you will find yourself in one of the characters being portrayed. In her newest book we have a hurting family. Who can't relate to that on some level? I think we all can. Macy has a young daughter. The father is in and out of the picture. Her brother has hurts of his own and their mother is still grieving the loss of their father.
I found I could relate to all of the characters in this story. After losing my dad when I was young, my family went through many of the emotions shared by these folks.
I see this story as teaching us that we can't really move forward unless we go back and settle everything of the past, leaving it behind. We are then washed with a peace like never before. It's as though this family is stuck in time. I love how the guest house they rent is called, Time In A Bottle. They want to change, but I don't think they really know how to let go just yet.
I love how this family goes back to the beach house that holds such valuable memories for them. Each of them are on a journey of healing and each are finding out that the road to healing doesn't come over night, but is a journey of a life time. So, Macy is searching for the artist. Someone who blessed her in her childhood days. On her search we see that our lives are being sculpted by the Artist who creates nothing but beauty.
Marybeth has a way of unraveling the story so that in the end we see a greater picture before us. In this story we see God's perfect timing. We see that He is in control and He has a way of revealing to us just what we need when we need it.
This book was a gift from Zondervan for its review.
Marybeth Whalen is a member of the Proverbs 31 Ministries writing team and a regular contributor to their daily devotions, which reach over 350,000 people each day. Her first novel, The Mailbox, was released in June 2010. Her next novel, She Makes It Look Easy, was released in June 2011. Additionally, she serves as director of She Reads, Proverbs 31 Ministries’ fiction division. Marybeth is the wife of Curt and mom of six children. The family lives outside Charlotte, North Carolina. www.marybethwhalen.com
