| Not surprisingly, Karen Kingsbury has produced | | | | she drifts from one foster care to another, and |
| another heartfelt, touching story of a Christian | | | | each one seems to be worse than the last. |
| family in a time of crisis. This time, she takes on | | | | Somehow, she holds on to her faith in God, |
| the topic of faithful Christians struggling with | | | | inspiring some of those who come in contact with |
| depression. At the same time, she offers insight | | | | her, as she continues to seek her "forever |
| into the world of foster care and the story of a | | | | family." |
| little girl no one wants to adopt. | | | | Kingsbury has done a remarkable job of weaving |
| Maggie Stovall seems to have everything | | | | these lives together. I particularly appreciate the |
| together when it comes to spiritual matters. No | | | | approach she took to depression. Too often, |
| one - including her husband - realizes that she | | | | Christians believe that faith should be enough, and |
| struggles with depression born of a past misstep. | | | | so wind up struggling longer than they need to in |
| Indeed, it seems Maggie is keeping a number of | | | | order to find peace. Kingsbury handles the subject |
| things secret from her spouse, and those | | | | masterfully, and provides a great deal of food for |
| mistakes take their toll. At her wits end, Maggie | | | | thought. |
| checks herself into a psychiatric hospital, not | | | | This is the latest of several novels I have read |
| realizing that it is Christian-based. Here, she comes | | | | recently by Kingsbury that has handled the |
| to understand that sometimes there are causes | | | | adoptive situation. I don't know if it was Amanda's |
| for depression that take more than faith to | | | | story in particular, or just a gradual movement |
| overcome. She gradually works through her | | | | from the many encounters on the subject, but I |
| struggles and emerges the stronger for them. | | | | found myself seriously considering foster |
| Her husband, Ben, has been broadsided by the | | | | parenting. Her writing makes it clear that she has |
| change in Maggie (although he didn't realize until it | | | | had numerous experiences with social services, |
| was too late that those changes were long in | | | | and I appreciate the way she brought that |
| coming). When she tells him she wants a divorce | | | | information to others. That said, she isn't |
| because he doesn't really know her, Ben decides | | | | preaching the subject, so please don't let it deter |
| instead to try to find the secret she has kept | | | | you from reading. |
| hidden for so long. The answer takes him by | | | | All in all, a masterful work, filled with vivid |
| surprise, and forces him to re-evaluate not only | | | | characters and excellent theological points. |
| his wife but also how he has judged others in his | | | | Kingsbury has, I am sure, helped many struggling |
| life. | | | | with depression to move towards healing, while |
| And then there is Amanda Joy, a beautiful little girl | | | | penning an uplifting and entertaining (if not heart |
| in the foster care system that no one seems to | | | | wrenching) novel. |
| want. Too old to attract attention for adoption, | | | | |