Sharon Souza’s debut novel, Every Good and Perfect Gift, deserves its place as a finalist in the Book of the Year contest. I read it in two days (not an easy thing to do with a nine month old crawling everywhere, tearing his glasses off his head). Approaching midnight on the second day, I lay in bed reading the end, my shoulders heaving (I was literally sobbing), because it is such an emotional, pull-at-your-heartstrings read. I haven’t cried like that over a book in a long time, maybe never. But even with such a serious topic, Sharon manages to tell the story with a sense of humor that makes the book so very enjoyable to read.
Here’s what it’s about:
Best friends, DeeDee and Gabby, are inseparable. Always have been, always will be, at least that’s what they think. They went to college together, met and married Jonathan and Sonny (also best friends), and decided early on that they weren’t going to have children. Until DeeDee changes her mind at 38 years old. Gabby helps her friend through two years of infertility and the two couples rejoice when DeeDee finally announces she’s pregnant. It seems life couldn’t get any better. But Gabby can’t help noticing DeeDee’s strange behavior. Something is wrong with her best friend, and whatever it is, it just keeps getting worse.
This poignant story about friendship explores a very tough, messy issue: Is God really in control when bad (horrible) things happen to good people? This is a novel that will pull you close and won’t let go. Not even after you finish the last page. So next time you’re looking for a good book to read, pick up Every Good and Perfect Gift. You won’t be disappointed.
Question to Ponder: What book has made you cry recently?
Great review. I just read a book in a little over 24 hours and loved it, but of course I can't remember the name…….
I can't think of any books…but I can think of a few movies 🙂 This book sounds great. Adding it to the "to read" list!
Gosh, I cry over heaps of books. Since I have opened to my heart to embrace myself more, I find that I can embrace lots of other things deeper than before. Sometimes this is not such a good thing. But I prefer it to feeling numb.I cried a lot in 'The power of One'
I had a few tears in 'Tueday's with Morrie' but the book I have most cried over recently is 'Today I'm Alice' (a memoir by Alice Jameison. Powerful, sad true story. I just related I guess.
Katie, this does sound good. Thanks for sharing about it!
Oh my goodness … just the title and the cover is enough to get me. I cried like crazy through 'The Shack' … a very difficult read. Since becoming a parent, I'm a wimp when it comes to stories about children getting harmed in any way … I pretty much can't even read them!
Kristen! You are SO not alone girl. I've done that before with my own stories. Isn't that the best feeling??
Heather, I've not heard of that one. Next time I'm in the mood for a nice cry, I'll have to check that one out.
Carrie, I haven't read it. Sounds really good!
Galen, then i need to get a life too, because I read an AWFUL lot of books on writing. Not the history ones though. That's not my bag of chips. 🙂
Jessica, you should totally get it. It's super good!
Cindy, you maybe silly, but so am I (and probably a lot of other writers). It's so easy to get attached to our characters – especially when you write a series (which you do) that we sort of have to grieve a little when it's time to say goodbye.
Jeannie – me too!
you know…this just might be a read i would like even though it's not romance. anything dealing with kids (or lack thereof) absolutely melt me.
Sounds like a wonderful and moving book. Lots of books have made me cry. The last one was…well, my own book 🙂 Right at the end, because I hate when I have to write those last words and suddenly my characters seem severed from me forever. I know, I'm silly 😀
Most books don't make me cry. I've heard of this author but haven't read her. Wow. Sounds like a really good book though! You've intrigued me. 🙂
Gee, sounds like an emotional and fulfilling read. Thanks for sharing. As for crying, well, I don’t have a good answer for that. Most of the things I read are either history or writing related, so, not much emotional in either one of those categories. Maybe I need to get a life, huh?
Best Regards, Galen
Imagineering Fiction Blog
I don't know if a book has ever made me cry… but A Farewell to Arms had me sitting and staring into space for a long, long time afterwards. (No wonder my then-boyfriend, now-husband called me long distance, at nearly 11pm at night, telling me to find an all-night bookstore and buy it and read it IMMEDIATELY!)
The only book I remember making me cry that hard was Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. My son was the same age as the little boy in that book at the time I read it. I couldn't get a breath in I sobbed so hard. I'm still mad at my book club for having me read that when my baby was the same age.
Hey, Katie!
Thanks so much for this review! I wondered what this book was about and I'll definitely be looking for it. It sounds incredible!
Hmm…It takes a lot for books to make me cry. It hasn't happened often in my life… Usually I go into a deep silence after I read a book like that. Charles Martin's "When Crickets Cry" always does that to me. But something really weird happened to me the last time I edited my book. I spent a week reading it out loud to see how it "sounded" and the end moved me to that same place. I completely forgot that it was mine and got so lost in the story that it ministered to me. Does that sound weird? I'm kind of hoping that it touches other people too… particularly people in the field of publishing!
Has that ever happened to you?