ROOM FOR HOPE by Kim Vogel Sawyer

This is a Christian novel. It's set during the Depression era. It launches into the narrative immediately. The author tells her story over 41 chapters. She wraps up her novel with Reader's Discussion questions about the characters in the book. The questions are meant to discuss the lessons of the character and how these lessons apply to readers' lives. At the very end she includes brief Acknowledgements, crediting those who helped make this book possible. Kim Vogel Sawyer is the bestselling author of multiple novels. These include What Once Was Lost and Through the Deep Waters. Room for Hope is her newest novel. She has sold more than one million books. She has won numerous awards. These include American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award for Excellence.

I finished this fascinating book today. It drew me in from the beginning. That's because the author doesn't start out, as many novelists do, by working up to the main plot. She starts out with the plot in the first chapter and I was left in a state of suspense until near the end of the book. There it become more predictable. Earlier in the book, I found myself peeking ahead to see what I was in for, but only a little. I found it hard tobelieve that the primary chacracter could work through her major heartaches with no counseling, and ultimately dealt with it all as she did. But after all, this is faction, and I don't see the way they worked out things, happening in real life. In so much of Christian fiction, we read of very rocky relationships and brokenness, and in the course of time, there are conversons at the end of the book. THose transformations are such that the characters are radically changed afterward. They don't struggle with the same sins. Much Christian fiction ends up being boring and predictable at the end. Happy endings don't always happen and not all issues or sins, are resolved. I did see one instance in this book, where the issue seems to have remained unresolved. These plots and subplots offer different lessons on trusting God with one's problems, resolving issues in one's family, turning the other cheeck, forgiveness, and placing people above business or material possessions.

I recommend this book for non-Christians, because of the way the book is written. I encourage anyone who wants an alternative to the shoddy fiction that is so prevalent, to read this book. This book provides a wholesome alternative and presents the Gospel in a few parts of the book. I don't think any of us Christians should use this, or any Christian fiction, as our primary spiritual nourishment. These works of Christian fiction, good as they may be, can make us dissatisfied with the people in our lives and with God's dealings with us.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through BloggingFor Books, in exchange for my honest review. I wasn't required to give this book a positive review.

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