My Review of Still Life in Shadows (CFBA Tour)

Click HERE to read the book description and learn more about the author!

My Rating

Spring/Summer

My Review

With this book, Wisler has a new publisher, a new genre, a new story, a new point-of-view...but the same gentle writing style that slowly engages while constantly offering powerful emotional insights.

Due to the popularity of Amish novels and their celebration of the "simple" Amish culture, a book like this - where the hero is a man who helps others leave their Amish roots and embrace the Englisher lifestyle - is bound to intrigue. But Still Life in Shadows is more the story of one man trying to figure out how to reconcile his past and his present (and one girl whose daily struggles alternately annoy him and inspire him) than it is a story out to bash the Amish. While it certainly raises some questions about the rigidity of the Ordnung and the possibly unyielding ways of some of the Amish people, Wisler's story pretty well avoids generalizing and instead boils everything down to the personal - the grief and difficulties the characters struggle with in their own unique situations.

So if you're looking for a fast-paced, anti-Amish book, this probably isn't the one for you. And if you're a fan of Wisler's romance novels, be aware that, while there is some sweet romance tucked away in these pages, the focus is on the two people whose thoughts we are privy to: Gideon, and an autistic girl named Kiki. This book isn't really about the exciting plot twists, but rather about the journeys of Gideon and Kiki and the people that love them.

Still Life in Shadows offers a tender - but not sugar-coated - look at the sorrows of life, the choices that we make, and the hope and growth that can be found in unexpected places, at unexpected times, and in unexpected ways. Love-affirming and life-affirming!

*With thanks to the publisher through CFBA for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*