Review: Christian fiction with a lot of heart, but not always smooth reading
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 4, 2013
The blurb led me to believe that this story would be primarily a romance. It should be noted that this is not the case. The romance between Richard and Carol takes place entirely between the lines. In fact, Richard doesn't have much page time and I wouldn't call him the main character.What this book is really about is a large Christian family living in Oregon during the western expansion. This novel and the characters within it are defined by their Christianity. As they face the ups and downs of life, they turn to prayer and scripture. Many of the characters are children (though I did struggle to nail down their ages), and the story frequently centers around the lessons they learn from their own errors and from their family, all leading to a greater understanding of the Bible.  As such, the novel relies heavily on direct quotes from scripture.  If you are looking for a story about a large loving family who regularly discuss and expand upon their Christian faith, than you will likely enjoy this novel.My issues with the book were mostly with the execution. Their are many characters and the POV switches continually. Some scenes jump from head to head to head with such rapidity and linger so briefly that I was left feeling confused and detached. The timeline is also confusing, as it jumps forward and backwards, and I was frequently unsure whether I was reading the present or a flashback/flashforward. With such a vast cast of characters and so much jumping around I found it hard to feel really immersed in the story. It seemed too stretched out and lacking in focus. I also stumbled over frequent grammatical issues and typos. An additional round of editing would serve this novel well.Despite all of this, the book does sustain a strong sense of morality and love, which will appeal to readers who seek parabolic fiction.