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Review of “Where Hope Begins” by Catherine West

Book description from Goodreads:

In the aftermath of her husband’s act of adultery and abandonment, Savannah must finally face the ghosts that haunt her and discover for herself whether authentic faith, grace, and ultimate healing really do exist.

When her husband of twenty-one years leaves her, Savannah Barrington believes she’s lost almost everything she’s ever loved. With her daughter in college and her son in boarding school, Savannah retreats to her parents’ lake house in the Berkshires, where hope and healing come in the form of an old woman’s wisdom, a little girl’s laughter, a touch of magic, and a handsome man who’s willing to risk his own heart to prove she’s still worth loving.

But when her husband asks to reconcile, Savannah is faced with the hardest challenge of all: Forgiving the unforgivable. Somehow she must find freedom from the chains of their past and move forward, or face an unknown future without him.

My Review:

A note before I begin this review: The storyline of this book includes the accidental death of a child; adultery; impending divorce; depression; and attempted suicide. All of these topics are written about in a sensitive,appropriate way and with appropriate language, but I wanted you to be aware of this before you begin the book. Because of the seriousness of these subjects, I’d classified this book for adult readers.

It’s hard to write a review about this book because it’s so emotional but so very well-written.

This novel, although it deals with the serious subjects I listed above, is one that has the light of hope and forgiveness all throughout the storyline. Parts of it are heartbreaking. Following this family through the consequences of selfish actions and disobeying God is a roller coaster ride of emotions. The characters are quite true-to-life. There’s nothing sugarcoated here. But it also illustrates so accurately the way that God constantly and patiently works through our lives to bring us back to Him. Through all the brokenness, it’s a beautiful story. When you get to the ending, have tissues ready because it will make you cry. (And since I don’t cry easily, that’s quite a statement.)

There’s a quote that I love from towards the end of the story: “You’re seeing everything we don’t deserve, but somehow get. It’s the miracle of faith. Grace. And hope. Isn’t it glorious?” Doesn’t that describe all of our lives as we follow Christ? I was reminded to extend His grace towards others, especially those who are struggling.

At the end of the book, all I could say was “wow”. And cry some more.

Just read it. You’ll see what I mean.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review. I was not required to give a positive review. This is my honest opinion about this book. (less)