 |
Two sisters are poised at the outset of trauma. The older sister, Penny, has just gotten divorced and moved to Northern California from Seattle. Younger sister Kalli is debilitated after a car accident. They pick up the pieces and try to move on with the help of family, friends, and God.
Penny's initial skeptical reaction to the counselor recommended to help her interpret her dreams develops into a warm rapport. Changing scattered first impressions and expectations becomes the book's pattern. Kalli tries to write a book in her new free time. Her failed attempts at crime and detective fiction convince her to write about her own experience. Like Kalli's blossoming story, the jumble of life's predicaments, including mysteries and romance, as well as quotidian tasks, all coalesce toward narrative sense. Seemingly innocuous and disparate details like food, clothing, and book choices turn into clues on the road to resolution.
Penny and Kalli are as different as night and day in their approaches to their difficulties. Their contrasting personalities, along with the personalities of their coworkers, brother, and mom, make for an intriguing snapshot into many different walks of life. For example, Penny is a real estate agent in the lucrative Bay area. Kalli works in communications. Her brother's technological skills promote him up the military ranks. These disparate vignettes somehow work together to produce one breath, a combined effort to live out God's intentions for those He loves. Faith is dealt with realistically, with room for lots of doubt, complaint, and serendipity. A portrait of God emerges as a patient, persistent, and gentle healer who works through unexpected avenues. The conclusion points toward healing for Penny and Kalli. This uplifting yet punchy account of real conflict in the lives of contemporary women shows the results of therapy and theology.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review