About the Book
William Macdonald is at the pinnacle of his career. Pastor of a growing megachurch and host of a successful national radio programme. Clever and respected, he’s a man with everything, including a secret. His wife has left him and he can’t risk anyone finding out.
Blanche Macdonald is struggling. Her once rock-solid marriage is showing cracks. She promised to love her husband for better or for worse, but does loving always mean staying? Blanche desires to put God first. Not William. Not her daughter. Not herself.
When is a marriage over? When do you stand and fight?
Excerpt
Out there were his people. His congregation. Every week he provided them with the spiritual food they longed for. Every week he went home pumped up, having sent them home happy, replete with the words he’d digested and regurgitated for them.
William scanned the people in front of him. Years ago, his mentor had taught him to concentrate on a small selection of representative people. Make them feel he was speaking especially for them. It was a technique he’d perfected, one of the secrets of his success. And he was successful. Victory Church had been dying when he’d started here, and now look at it. Thousands of members. Sure, some left each year, but this church wasn’t about those who couldn’t fit in. There were plenty of other places for those kinds of people. This was a church for winners. People like William.
A winner? Really? What about Blanche?
He mentally squelched the questions before they could bloom into doubt. Blanche would be back home soon. They’d had a ding-dong all-guns-blazing fight, but she’d understand he’d been under pressure. Blanche knew his foibles—she’d been married to him long enough. She’d come around in time.
Review
This is such a powerful, well-written story!
If you haven’t read the first two books in this series, my advice is to do that straight away. Part of the impact of this book rests on knowing what has led up to it, and you cannot fail to be touched by the story that unfolds up to this point.
But then along comes this story…
One of the most powerful experiences in fiction, in my opinion, is the utter transformation of a character. I don’t just mean reading about a character who is utterly transformed; I mean truly experiencing the transformation every step of the way. Understanding the how and why. It’s a very difficult thing to achieve as a writer because it requires not only excellent writing but thoughtful and meaningful plotting to make it believable. And from the beginning of this series, it has been clear that the transformation of William Macdonald would require a miracle.
The beauty of this story is that the miracle unfolds slowly, page by page. It’s a testament to the way God works in and through all things. How, even when we think we’re in complete control, God uses our decisions to bring us to the place we need to be. How, even when it feels like things are totally out of our control, God holds us in the palm of His hand.
And when it comes to a book dealing with the break down of a marriage, this couple is in a unique position. I haven’t read any other book that deals with the issues they’re facing—and I’m being deliberately vague to avoid potential spoilers not only for this novel but the preceding two.
All in all, I highly recommend this series, particularly to those who have struggled with the question of why God allows pain and suffering or been confused by the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel.
Previous Books in the Series
About the Author
Christine never intended to become an author. If she ever thought about writing it was to wonder if she might write a missionary biography. So it was a surprise to her to write poetry, non-fiction and now be working on a novel.
Christine has worked in Taiwan, with OMF International, since 1999. It’s best not to ask Christine, “Where are you from?” She’s a missionary kid who isn’t sure if she should say her passport country (Australia) or her Dad’s country (New Zealand) or where she’s spent most of her life (Asia – Taiwan, Malaysia and the Philippines).
Christine used to be a physiotherapist, but now writes ‘storyteller’ on airport forms. She has written a book on storytelling and spends her time either telling Bible stories or training others to do so.
In her spare time, Christine loves all things active – hiking, cycling, swimming, snorkelling. But she also likes reading and genealogical research, as that satisfies her desire to be an historical detective.
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