"Sometimes the person you most need is the one least like you.
Kathryn Davies is a bright young woman from a prominent Phoenix
family. But after making a leap of faith at a Christian music fest,
dropping out of med school, and moving to inner city Chicago, her family
has all but disowned her. Kat’s enthusiasm for her newfound faith
tempers the sting of their rejection.
When Kat discovers SouledOut Community Church, she longs to become a
part of the multi-cultural church family. But her tendency to say
whatever she’s thinking and her eccentric ways step on the toes of
nearly everyone she meets—especially Avis Douglass, a woman she admires
but who seems distant.
Avis is known for her mature faith and her reliance on listening to
God more than people. Married to a kind and successful businessman, she
is the principal of one of Chicago’s highest performing elementary
schools, and a founding and active member of SouledOut. But the
country’s economic downturn has thrown both her and her husband’s jobs
in question. And Avis hasn’t heard from her youngest daughter in
months—an estrangement that gnaws at her every day. Where is God in all
this?
Kat’s flamboyant zeal for living a “radical” Christian life is a
stark contrast to Avis’s quiet crisis of faith. But in God’s own
mysterious ways, the two women discover they need each other in ways
neither of them expected."
My Thoughts
I have mixed feelings towards Stand By Me. It was definitely unlike any other book I read. I though the two main characters, Avis and Kat, were portrayed very realistically, but they were rather annoying. I got tired of hearing Avis complain about Kat and it never was explained why Kat went dumpster diving.
I did like the Christian perspective on tough issues, though it did come across as a little preachy at times. Mrs. Jackson does a great job reflecting on diversity and age and ethnicity in church.
I think this book is more geared towards ladies in Avis's age group and not towards college aged gals, like Kat. I would have preferred if the book would have moved more quickly at times. I am sorry to say, I had to force myself to finish this book.
Rating: 3/5
Ages: 18+ (I recommend 40+)
Stand By Me (A SouldOut Sisters Novel) by Neta Jackson
ISBN: 1595548645
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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