What a great, emotionally-draining and uplifting book! It alternates between two families linked by tragedy although they never meet. We experience the heart cries of both the mothers and see them bent low by worry and grief. One is given a sudden new joy in life and is able to sing heartfelt praises to God for the new life. The other is buried under debilitating grief and loss, unable to accept the love offered to her or see her way to reach out to her family. She almost loses everything before she is able to let God support her. It is also the story of each woman's daughter as each tries to deal with what life has brought her. I cried and mourned and rejoiced with each of the women, and thanked God for the blessings in m life. The book is noteworthy for its emotional intensity. Grief, anxiety, guilt, doubt and depression are painted in blacks and grays on a wide canvas. Admittedly, love, devotion, friendship, loyalty, compassion and faith are also represented but struggle to gain much notice until the very end and even then there is a lingering aftertaste of melancholy about this book.Snelling is true to her established habit of being meticulously detailed in all her descriptions. She presents dialogue and actions with thought-stream addenda (in italics). She has the skill to insert her readers into every situation to become acquainted with the narrating characters--in this case Nora and Jenna. The events in each of these characters' lives are juxtaposed synchronously in alternating chapters. I was rather disappointed that the two story lines did not consummate sufficiently at the end. (Due to "legal complications"? This being fiction, surely they could have been sidestepped.) If the two families had been able to meet it would have brought this two dimensional tale to a more satisfying third dimensional conclusion. But, overall, this work offers fetching insight into the process of grieving, and of healing, and the vital importance of caring friends, clergy and health care providers during personal crisis.
Do You like book Eén Perfecte Dag (2010)?
Way too much grief and sadness in this one for me!I felt like I was on a dark journey.
—BeccaBear2011
This was a good book if possible I would have given it 3.5 stars.
—pinkrubbersoul
This book hit close to home for me - awesome read!
—sifreshell
It was a good read, but the ending was abrupt.
—enchanted
