Review: Forgiveness for a child, no matter what the age, is ALWAYS an automatic part of our love for them!
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 19, 2012
(I actually rate this as a 3.5 stars, but Amazon does nto allow us to put that extra .5 in there.)This book is a short, 53 page christian novella that is perfect for this season's celebration! The main focus of this story is about forgiveness. This short story takes place during Christmas, which couldn't be a better time for the subject matter. It addresses the age-old question of whether when a child of any age returns home after leaving on not so good circumstances, whether or not they will be forgiven upon return.This is a story about Jody, a daughter who disappeared from her home one day for no rhyme or reason, according to her distraught parents, and is still gone seven years later. Her mother and father didn't know if foul play had happened, if she's alive, if she just left on her own, if her boyfriend forced her to leave, or anything. Every Christmas her mother wishes and prays for her safe return home. Her father ended up never recovering, and dies of a broken heart. There are so many unanswered questions about what really happened and why she just disappeared.Jody ran away from home with a man she was in love with and moved to Australia. Now, a single mom with two children of her own to support, she has decided it is time to move back to her parents home, to make a homecoming,  and ask her parents for forgiveness. She does not know if her family will accept and forgive her for disappearing or not, but she has hope to hold onto.I really enjoyed this story. It made me hope Jody's parents would forgive her, but I kind of guessed they would as most parents would always embrace a child on their return back home no matter what. Her parents seemed like the type of people who would forgive her right away, accept her father who her disappearance took a toll on, and he ended up dying.Jody was so worried about whether or not this return would turn out well, or if they could even forgive her for what she put them through. She felt this way her entire journey home.This story takes place during one of the best times of the year for parents, and that is Christmas. A time of their children's joy, hope, and of all things, forgiveness, if need be.I received this book for FREE from the Publisher and Litfuse Publicity in exchange to read and then write a review about it. It is NOT required for this review to be either positive or negative, but of my own honest opinion. "Free" means I was NOT provided with ANY MONIES to read this book nor to write this review, but to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, [...]Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.