It's with great pleasure that I had the opportunity to read
The Weight of Shadows and meet the talented author behind the book, Alison Strobel. I have read many christian non-fiction books, but this is the first time, I've read a novel from a christian publisher. I've always wondered about them and how the christian viewpoint plays into the story. The
Weight of Shadows was the perfect book to introduce me to this genre. Without further ado, let's hit the blurb on the back of the book:
After a difficult childhood, Kim has built a successful life for herself. She'd leave it all, though, if she could be rid of her guilt over a tragic mistake she made years ago. When she meets Rick, she finds everything she needs, even a way for her to pay for her sins.
Kim and Rick's new neighbor, Joshua, knows more than Kim realizes about Rick, but Joshua has battles of his own to fight. Having already lost his wife and job, he risks giving his in-laws the ammunition they need to gain custody of his daughter if he gets involved.
Debbie, who has saved countless women through the shelter she runs, has the power to help, but she might be as desperate for love as the woman she serves. Ultimately, Kim must decide if her penance is more important than protecting an innocent life--and if she should dare leave Rick when he has the power to bring her hidden crime to light.
This novel may be published by Zondervan, a christian publisher, but don't let that stop you from devouring a good book. The story is universal and should be read by all, regardless of your belief system. At it's core, it's about love and the search for it. Whether that love is familial, as in the desire a child has for the love of her family, the romantic love a woman desires in a man, or the agape love that is sought from an all-powerful God, love is what we all seek on some level and
The Weight of Shadows explores that desire in a compelling way.
The disturbing saga of domestic violence weighs heavily in the storyline as it exemplifies what some women for so many reasons, will allow themselves to be subjected to. I found myself yelling at the protagonist in the book, because I could see what was coming and I wanted her to "wake up" and avoid it, but to woman trapped in these relationships, it simply isn't that easy.
I raced through the book, trying throughout to guess what Kim's crime was. The author threw quite a curve ball and I didn't see it coming. Nice! Let's move on to the interview with Alison Strobel:
