Having been around young kids quite a bit I just had to let go laughing when a toddler returns a dog’s affection and Mom’s first reaction is to scream “Aaaccck! My child just licked a dog.”
This is only one example of the comic relief this author sprinkles throughout her novel. This plot is a slice of life type story with a little of everything. Sisters fighting over the same guy, jealousy over looks and clothes, many classic comic moments, and a good thorough sprinkling of faith and growth.
Joan is the middle sister, the good girl helping her mother care for Gram. She’s lost a father and is afraid of losing more. Church is a Sunday morning tradition in their household but she soon realizes that faith should be so much more when she encounters people who actually have a relationship with God who she thinks abandoned her along with her father. Will this relationship be worth the risk of loss that Joan thinks is inevitable if she allows herself to trust again? Are there people out there that won’t abandon her like her father and others in her life?
Read this book for a moving and realistic journey of a fictional character that many people can relate to. I never had sisters of my own or lost a parent but still identify with many of the insecurities and desires Joan experiences in this book. This book is not lightweight in terms of content but it definitely makes a good “lighter” read in between more intense stories.
You can find some other links as well as a synopsis and author bio in my CFBA Post
