Revell Blog Tour: My Review of The Waiting

Here's a description of the book from Revell:

"She was waiting for love--and found it in the most unexpected place.

Jorie King's life is on hold. She has been waiting for Ben Zook to return to Lancaster County. Waiting for him to settle down and join the church. Waiting to marry him.

But when news arrives that Ben has been killed, Jorie is devastated. She finds unlikely comfort in the friendship of his brother Caleb. Friendship ripens into love, and two broken hearts plan for a life filled with the promise of a fresh beginning--until their worlds are turned upside down.

With her realistic characters whose weaknesses develop into strengthes, Suzanne Woods Fisher offers a reading experience that rises above the others. You will love growing in spirit with these complex people living the simple life as The Waiting transports you into a world where things aren't as simple as they seem."

My Rating: Spring/Summer

My Review:

Unexpected. This word from the back cover description of the book is the aspect of the story that really drew me in and captured my interest. As other reviewers have pointed out, the plot of The Waiting is rather different from many other books set in an Amish community. The time period (during the Vietnam War) and the characters both intrigued me.

What really bothered me when I first started reading the book was not the necessarily the story itself, but rather the back cover synopsis. It was almost immediately apparent that the back cover gave away a twist in the story--because if that twist had not happened in the plot, based on the back cover there would have been a big moral problem!

After reading the entire book, though, I felt relieved. The issues that were raised throughout the book were dealt with in a way that satisfied me, as far as the idea that while there was still room for me to wonder about what happened after the last page, there weren't any "loose ends" left dangling to frustrate me.

In fact, the more I read the more I enjoyed the book. There were some deep parts--unexpected--that were moving. And I was pleased that the author did not shy away from difficult, real issues. She wove compassion and pain together into a story that felt authentic and hopeful.

There is a beautiful passage that tied in with the title so well on page 173, which I will leave to the reader to find and savor. Suffice it to say that while I was a bit annoyed by some of the point-of-view confusion I sensed as I read, overall I loved this book. I was left guessing as to what would happen in the end until the very last pages!

*With thanks to Revell Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

“Available October 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”