This book is currently being featured on the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance. Information about the author and more details about the book can be found here.
I enjoyed Once Confronted by Lynne Stringer, though it did take a little while before it really engaged me. The event that triggered the story happens early on in the book, but then it is important, in order to maintain the reality of the story, to move forward in time. However, this part of the story seemed a bit ‘jumpy’. Nevertheless, once I was past that, I really connected with the main character, Maddy and felt Lynne did a great job of describing her internal conflict, which was triggered by a number of events. Likewise Evan, who comes across as totally believable.
The story is the journey of two people after they are confronted with a traumatic situation and the different paths they take. Through the story, Lynne is able to raise the issues of forgiveness, post-traumatic stress disorder and domestic violence. These are all handled with sensitivity and good insights. There was no Christian material in the book, but the subtle message of forgiveness was apparent. I was glad the story didn’t develop into a romance novel, as that would have seemed contrived. Yet, the hint of romance made it interesting.
The book is well-written and easy to read, with enough description to make it easy to visualise without being long-winded.
A great read.
Thanks to Rhiza Press for providing a free book for review.
