Friday, November 6, 2009

Book Review: Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury




Shades of Blue
Karen Kingsbury
Zondervan
336 Pages
2009





Shades of Blue is a stand-alone title from Karen Kingsbury. It is a story of forgiveness and healing.

The story starts with Brad Cutler. He is an advertising executive in New York. He is engaged to Laura and they are to be married in four weeks. He is working on an account about baby blankets. He can't concentrate and come up with a slogan for it. Something is bothering him. He finally realizes that an event in his past with his former girlfriend is standing in the way.

He is miserable. He must resolve the issue before he can get married. He tells his fiance and then goes to North Carolina to find his old girlfriend, Emma.

Emma is having her own problems. She can't put the past behind her and move forward.

Brad and Emma work through the past and eventually find forgiveness and healing.


Spoiler Alert







This story works through some tough issues. It works through the emotional pain that abortion causes to the people who have had one. It shows that the only way to true forgiveness is through God.

This was a very emotional story. The last third of the book, I had tears running down my face constantly. It is a good reminder that unresoved conflict can eat away at us for years until we take care of it.

I think that this is one of Karen Kingsbury's best books. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.



Source: Library

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger




The Time Traveler's Wife
Audrey Niffenegger
Mariner Books
560 Pages
2004



I had heard about this book from other book bloggers and then saw that a movie was made about it. I have always liked time travel stories so I logged onto my local library's web site and placed a hold on it. It had a lot of holds on it and took about two months before I had it in my hands.

The Time Traveler's Wife is told from two peoples point of view. The story of Henry and Clare is a love story that spans time.

Henry was born with the ability to time travel. He can't control when or where he goes. Sometimes he is gone for minutes and sometimes for days. A lot of the time, he travels to places where his loved ones are. He has viewed his mother's death over and over. He meets himself many times. He instructs his younger self on how to survive when he travels.

Harry has a big problem when he travels. His clothes don't travel with him. So he is frequently naked and without money. He has to learn how to steal wallets and clothes.

There is one place that he travels to more than any other. That is to a meadow behind the house of a little girl named Clare.

Clare is the other main character in this book. She meets Henry when she is 6. She leaves clothes for him in the meadow. She brings him food. He visits many times over the years. As time goes on, she falls in love with Henry. Henry knows that this little girl will eventually be his wife.

The story does go back and forth a lot. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of who is where in time. I have to look back and see what year it is. Even so, I think that the author does a fantastic job of telling the story.

There is a sub-plot about Clare and another man that I didn't like. There is also too much sex. I would rather not read about their sex life.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Library