Review: The Chance

The Chance: A Novel

About the Book:

Dubbed the “Queen of Christian Fiction” by Time magazine, #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is arguably America’s favorite inspirational novelist with a dozen bestsellers to her credit. In The Chance, she delves deeply into a theme that resonates with us all: It’s never too late for those willing to take a chance.

Years ago, the day before Ellie moved from Georgia to California, she and her best friend Nolan sat beneath the Spanish moss of an ancient oak tree where they wrote letters to each other, and sealed them in a rusty old metal box. The plan was to return eleven years later and read them. But now, as that date arrives, much has changed. Ellie, bereft of the faith she grew up with, is a single mom living in a tired apartment trying to make ends meet. Sometimes she watches television to catch a glimpse of her old friend —Nolan, now an NBA star, whose terrible personal tragedies fueled his faith and athletic drive in equal measure. But Nolan also suffers from a transcendent loneliness that nothing has ever eased.

In their separate lives, as Ellie and Nolan move toward the possibility of a reunion at the oak tree, Kingsbury weaves a tale of heart-wrenching loss, the power of faith, and the wounds that only love can heal.

My Comments:

This book is prototypical Karen Kingsbury.  It is a heartwarming story that plays on readers' emotions.  It is filled with faith content and is as much about characters' spiritual journeys as it is about their relationships with each other.  The moral of the story is clearly that forgiveness is necessary not only for eternal life but also for happiness in this world.  Kingsbury is also telling her readers that while believers may have to endure suffering in this world, in the end, even in this world, God will work it all out for the best.  Those who like a lot of faith with their fiction will enjoy this story; those who like a more subtle approach or who don't like religious stories should pass.  

Thanks to the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B.

The Bridge: My Review

The Bridge: A Novel

About the Book:

Molly Allen lives alone in Portland, but her heart is back in Franklin, Tennessee, where five years ago she walked away from a man she cannot forget, a rare sort of love she hasn’t found since.

     Ryan Kelly lives in Franklin and spends plenty of time at The Bridge—the oldest bookstore in historic downtown Franklin—remembering the long hours he and Kelly once spent there.

     Now, Ryan and Molly’s favorite bookstore is in trouble. For thirty years, Charlie and Donna Barton have run The Bridge, providing the people of middle Tennessee with coffee, conversation, and shelves of good books—even through dismal book sales and the rise of eBooks. Then in May a flood tore through Franklin and destroyed nearly every book in the store. By Christmastime, the bank threatens to pull the lease on The Bridge and is about to take the Bartons’ house as well. Despondent, Charlie considers ending his life. And in the face of tragedy, miracles begin to unfold.

My Comments:

I think "Christmas Books" should be considered a genre in and of themselves.  Whether written by the authors of trashy romances or by the authors of intricate Christian family sagas, Christmas books tend to be short (well under 300 pages), heartwarming, and, generally speaking, unrealistic.  The Bridge hits on all  three counts.  In short, if a Christmas story is what you are seeking, this is one; if you want a well developed novel with an intricate plot, look elsewhere.  

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B-.  

My Reviews of Other Karen Kingsbury Books:

Redemption

Sunset

Let's Have a Daddy Day

This Side of Heaven

Other Kingsbury Books: