Customer Reviews

From the Ashes

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From The Ashes is one of those hidden gems you pick up on a whim and are knocked out by its unique story and suberb writing. James, a concert pianist and composer. Melody, an up and coming student. Avarice, self-interest and happenstance all seem to consipire to keep these two apart - until James gives Melody his music to play and they learn that music truly is the language of the soul. Two well drawn characters and a host of believable non-stock support actors round out a warm and melodic love story.

I loved this story and could barely put it down to get my kids fed while I was reading it. I can't give it five stars, though, because the whole time I was reading, I kept thinking: this book could have been so much better, if the author had just put in a little more effort.

Like I said, the story itself was so good. But it read like a second draft. A lot of the kinks had been smoothed out, but there were still a lot of editing mistakes and plot elements that needed to be re-worked. There were scenes that needed to be made longer---it seemed like the author was racing to get to the good parts, and then she raced through those, too. I do some writing myself, and I, too, have a tendency to race. But I'm learning that reading that kind of writing is not as satisfying as it is to read a work where the author really took her time and stopped to give lots of interesting details.

What drew me to this book was discovering that the two main characters in it are Catholics. Being a Catholic myself, I've been frustrated with the lack of inspirational romance novels available featuring Catholic characters. It turns out that the faith parts of this novel are a bit sketchy. We never hear of the characters going to Mass but once (at Christmas Eve). References to God are interspersed with romance-novel clichés describing the attraction between James and Melody and way too many euphemisms for swear words (an actual curse or two would have been far preferable).

Okay, so this novel was far from perfect. But I still recommend it, because, as I said, the story is so enjoyable, and I really couldn't put it down---and that has to say something for it, right?

I'd love to read more novels by Janet Butler. I just hope next time she'll go that extra mile; if she does, I know her book will be stellar!

From the Ashes is a book that takes its main characters on a roller coaster ride of the highs and lows of romance. It traces the impact of debilitating disease on a successful artist and the impact of love, and the value of prayer in his recovery.