To read the original post for the LitFuse Publicity Blog Tour (with book description, author information, etc.), click HERE.Once again, I apologize for the delay in writing my full review. I just finished the book, and I can now share my complete thoughts with you. Thank you for your patience!
My Rating: Spring/Summer
My Review:
This book is full of vivid imagery--some beautiful and poetic, and some disturbing and heartbreaking. I admire Lacy's talent for writing, as the words she weaves draw the reader into the story, for better or for worse. The rhythm of the book is full of constant crescendos and decrescendos, painful secrets in both the past and present revealed one right after the other, paralleled by tender moments of kindness and hope. It's a different sort of rhythm for a book--one that takes the reader on a timeless and terrifying journey.
To be honest, this was a difficult book to read. There's so much going in the story and so much emotion that I found it to be sort of slow-going, and it's not really the kind of book I particularly enjoy reading, especially because the descriptions go into more detail on certain subjects than I would prefer. (I also have to add that this book only compounded my fear of childbirth! Not that I don't love children, but the actual trials of pregnancy and labor and such scare me.)
However, in the midst of all the tragedy, a message of hope glimmers through the pages, and in the end of the crazy ride it felt like the main characters had come a long way and reached a good place. This book speaks of the power of grace and truth, and perhaps the message is clearer because of all the difficulties presented throughout the story. It's not a book I imagine picking up again, at least not any time in the foreseeable future, but it is a book with a powerful message that cautions us against being judgmental and uncaring.
*With thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion, to be shared during the LitFuse Publicity Blogging tour.*
17 comments:
Let's try this again without the typo:
Re: Childbirth
When the time comes, you will be so over the swollen ankles, back pain, and funky emotions that you'd do just about anything to get your body back. By then the thought of squeezing a watermelon through places no watermelon should go doesn't bother you anymore. Promise.
I, too, found that this book took me on an uncomfortable journey, but in the end, it was worth the trip. It must be difficult for an author to know just how much detail to put in or leave out for each reader when crafting stories of how God saved folks from horrible situations in life. I know that I can't read books about child abuse--even true stories where people tell what happened to them. I usually have to skip over whole sections in that kind of autobiography!
I know what you mean about your fears of childbirth, Amber. I've been to three of my siblings birth and as my mom goes through the labor I'm like - "wow....I'm really not looking forward to this...!" But then afterwards, when my moms holding the new little one, she says it was more than worth it. And I take her word for it - she's done it 10 times. :-)
Great review! I agree with you, this book was "heavy," but I did enjoy it. :)
Oh my goodness, Joy you had me chuckling there.
This was a good review, Amber. Personally it was too much for me content-wise, but I agree with you that Patti's descriptive skills are wonderful.
Renee Ann,
I agree that it was an uncomfortable but worthwhile journey. :) And yes, I think it is hard to know how much detail an author should go into in order to be realistic but still not unnecessarily vulgar, if that makes sense.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! :)
~Amber
Katy,
Aw, thank you for your understanding! And wow--10 children! Your mom must be a very strong and patient woman. :)
Thank you for sharing your own thoughts and what you've learned from your mom! :)
~Amber
Joy,
(Sorry this comment is out of order!)
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts/experiences about childbirth with me. :) I confess, though, that this part--"the swollen ankles, back pain, and funky emotions that you'd do just about anything to get your body back"--is also rather terrifying to me. So I guess its the whole package deal that doesn't quite appeal to me. ;)
But I know that if it's God's will for a person to have a child, the end result will be more than worth it, as Katy's mom said. :)
~Amber
Sara,
Thank you! I think "heavy," but still enjoyable, is a good way to put it. :)
~Amber
Julia,
I know, right? ;) Joy just tells it like it is!
Thank you for your kind words about my review. :) I agree that some of the content was rather difficult to read and perhaps a bit too detailed for my liking.
~Amber
Nice review, Amber! I confess, all these comments have me smiling and laughing, especially Joy's! :D I obviously haven't gone through that blessed torture yet but my mom, God bless her heart, delivered both my brother and I WITHOUT ANY meds! Yup, all natural and to this day she knows it was the grace of an ever-loving God that brought her through! With me, by the time she got to the hospital she was too far along for meds and with my brother she had time for meds but said since she didn't have them with me that she could handle it... lets just say she told me that if I have the chance I BETTER gets meds, LOL! My mom has a very high tolerance to pain whereas I don't think I have any tolerance whatsoever, LOL!
This was funny and I just have to share it :) The other day we were talking about stretch marks from childbirth and my mom made the comment about how my brother and I were the cause of hers and I said, "Ma, those aren't stretch marks, they're battle scars, proving you faced death, fought hard and won!" :)
It all does seem very scary but I think the Lord gives a sufficient amount of grace according to the need for everything we face in our life. I also hold onto the Scripture John 16:21 "A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world." God always give us a promise to cling to for every situation, Amen? ;)
Blessings,
Amanda
Oh, I'm so glad I stopped back. What Amanda said here from God's word John 16:21 is so true. I remember when they were sewing me up the pain just didn't matter because I could see the face of my beautiful daughter (and my son).
Julia, I'm glad you saw the fruit of that Scripture and thank you for the hope that I will too :)
And, I just wanted to apologize for my last comment. Reading though it again I feel like the little joke about the stretch marks was insensitive of me. Sadly, not every woman and/or baby survives childbirth and what was meant for a laugh could actually be very hurtful. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone because that was certainly the last thing I wanted to do, especially over so delicate a subject.
Okay, Amber, I promise I'm going to bed now ;)
Blessings,
Amanda
@ Amanda,
For anyone who knows your heart even just from online I think you would be hard-pressed to offend us. :)
Julia
Awww, Julia, that means so much to me :) I feel like I have "foot-in-mouth" disease with my comments sometimes... Anyway, thank you, my friend :)
Blessings,
Amanda
Amanda,
Thank you for your sweet comment! I can't believe your mother went through all that without pain medication--I can't even imagine! And don't worry--I have a low pain tolerance, too, so you're not alone! ;)
Thank you for sharing that verse with us and reminding us of God's wonderful and comforting promises! :) And as Julia said, anyone who knows you even in just the blogging world would know that you would never try to offend anyone. :) You're too kind!
~Amber
Julia,
Thank you for stopping by again and sharing your thoughts! I feel like I'm interrupting a discussion--hope you don't mind! :)
~Amber
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