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In a rather placid rural Virginia community, something is about to happen that will shake residents to their core. Bellinger’s emotive tale begins when a woman named Daisy is driving home one afternoon after teaching in the local school and giving three piano lessons, reminiscing about her past, the tragic early death of her husband, and the bond she now shares with their young son, Daniel. Suddenly she is confronted by another vehicle heading toward her. In a few seconds, there is a horrific crash, and she and the other driver, Marshall, are killed instantly. Many in the community will turn to religion for answers and comfort.
Residents may choose one of two similar churches, which may be based on location or family tradition as much as on who pastors it. Paul Clarke and his wife, Mary Beth, and Adrian Manson and his wife, Hallie—the two pastoral couples whose parishes are affected by this traumatic occurrence—will begin to work together, perhaps even without realizing it, as situations arise that affect everyone. Six-year-old Daniel is an orphan, and many in the community will blame themselves for this tragedy because Marshall was known for his alcohol problem, yet no one had tried very hard to help him conquer it. These deaths affect pastor Paul especially hard since he and his deacons had decided to do no more than gently censure Marshall when his drinking issues were raised. And everyone loved Daisy, a charming, almost saintly young woman who shared her talents with the community.
Now Daniel will go to live temporarily with the Mansons and their children, while serious issues will begin to surface throughout the region, affecting many in deeply personal ways only revealed in the wake of the shock of the car wreck. One such thorny problem is the determination of a social worker new to the region to get Daniel placed in a foster home with strangers. Through it all, the bond between Adrian, Paul, and their wives will strengthen as they counsel others and seek solace for themselves in prayer, contemplation, and God-guided action. Miracles will occur, small and large, as they do their Christian duty.
Bellinger, who has moved about the country observing and collecting these human-scale stories, has a fine ability to draw together many personalities and tight-knit scenarios that will keep readers guessing. Her purpose seems to involve showing those outside the realm of the ministry how much real toil is involved in the job and how intimately pastors and their loved ones must become and remain in the lives and struggles of their parishioners and their communities as a whole. She has composed multiple plot threads and uses lively dialogue for everyone from small children to young people in distress to old, tired, and wisdom-imbued characters that populate the novel. There is little doubt that Bellinger has learned to combine salient messages with a rare, enjoyable skill as a diligent student of human nature. Her book could be happily read and deeply discussed by members of a church congregation as part of a study group. It could also provide fascinating reading for young adults and parents seeking religious guidance through dynamic fiction.
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