Can a brand new marriage withstand the weight of generations-old baggage?
Newlyweds Amelia and Marcus Sheffield are recent college grads trying to stay afloat in LA while searching for their dream jobs. Marcus hopes to become a mega-church pastor. Amelia has an esteemed music degree and longs to play piano professionally. The Sheffields are clearly city people.
But when a small town church offers Marcus a job, the couple’s dedication to their dreams and each other is tested. After a risky compromise is made, Amelia falls into a dark emotional place, where she finds skeletons she’d fought hard to deny. In desperation, she calls out to God. But why can’t she find Him? While Amelia struggles, Marcus learns news that nearly crushes him. He must lean on his faith to withstand the pressure… or risk losing his wife forever.
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| Me with “Composing Amelia” at the beach |
It is no secret that I relish being able to read an Alison Strobel book! Her latest book is certainly no different. I can vividly recall by half way through the fourth chapter I wanted to smack Marcus for his behaviour and attitude! Mind you, Amelia was at the receiving end of my readers wrath a few times too with her actions as well. You might be wondering if I actually enjoyed the book considering I had such a strong reaction to the characters. It’s because of those strong reactions that I loved the book, and it’s what propelled me through the book at lightning speed.
When an author is able to inspire such strong emotional reactions from a reader I know it’s good – even if the emotions are uncomfortable, difficult or frustrating. Alison has certainly made for evocative reading.
Amelia and Marcus are a young Christian couple trying to make ends meet, reach their dreams and be Godly spouses towards each other. That’s not easy at the best of times, let alone what these guys go through. Even when I despaired at the decisions these two people make, I still liked them. By and large Marcus and Amelia have been shaped by their formative years with parents that have been less than stellar in their child rearing. They have made little room for God to change them and make them whole unto him. Of course it takes them a while to figure out they need God to shape them not their family.
This book touched me deeply on many levels, most which are too personal to go into, but it was worth the read. Alison again gives her reader’s difficult people and situations and shines God’s grace and love upon them. Answers do come, but they are not easily solved and the reader knows the journey is still going for Marcus and Amelia. The most important thing though is that they are now letting God travel along their journey to wholeness.
Can’t wait to read more from you, Alison!
Jess is a mum of two children and married to the calmest man alive. She loves to bake and go for walks. A writer of contemporary romance, Jess write stories about the heart and where love is worth the journey.
Thank you so much!! I'm so glad to hear again how much you enjoyed the book. 🙂
Thanks Alison, my husband read it too the other day and he loved it. He said your book is something he hasn't read in Christian fiction before and that you need to keep writing what you are writing – Christian Fiction needs it!
He said he was very unimpressed with Marcus in chapter four also. He said he'd never try that on me!
Jess 🙂