The Breaking Point [Paperback]

Karen Ball (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 7, 2003

Gabe and Renee Roman are on the edge -- relationally and spiritually. Both consider themselves followers of Christ. But after years of struggling in their marriage, their greatest test comes in the most unexpected of forms: a blizzard in the Oregon mountains. Their truck hurtles over the side of a mountain, and each encounters the realities of suffering, sacrifice, and service in Christ's name. It isn't until they surrender their last defenses that their surface understandings are torn away and all that's left is truth: only through obedience to God's call can they find true joy.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A full-time freelance editor and author, Karen Ball has worked in the Christian publishing industry for more than twenty years. She is the author of Reunion (a Doubleday Book Club Alternate Selection) and Wilderness. Her latest novella was published in Three Weddings and a Giggle. Karen lives in southern Oregon with her husband, Don, and their "boy," Bodhan -- a mischievous Siberian husky.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (May 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590520335
• ISBN-13: 978-1590520338
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.5 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,694 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

First thing to know about me: I love Oregon. You won't find more varied terrain anywhere. From desert to mountains to forests to the ocean: Oregon has it all. evergreens; a rugged ocean. And climate? Hot, warm, cool, cold, snow, rain, fog, blazing summer heat (as high as 115 degrees!). Every aspect of this state is beautiful in its own way--kind of like life. We face good times and bad, and yet, in every situation, God brings beauty when we least expect it.

I love that about Him.

Second thing to know: I'm a bonafide PK (preacher's kid), but I never went through a rebellion. Why not? 'Cuz my parents are a rare breed: their family was their first ministry. So here I am, a grown up PK, who loves the church, my family, and God.

Let's see...what else? I'm married to a guy who's a blend of John Wayne and Jerry Lewis. He's strong and protective--and just this side of crazy. We've had some major ups and downs, but God has brought us from a very dark place into His love and peace. It still amazes me. (THE BREAKING POINT is based on our struggles and what God taught us.) And though we don't have kids, we have great dogs--our "boy" Bodhan, a Siberian husky whose name means "God's gift." He just showed up on our doorstep one winter, and has been our sweet fella ever since. And then there's Dakota, an Aussie-terrier mix we should have named "Destructo." Good thing we love her!

Last, but not least, there's my day job. I've been an editor in Christian publishing for more than 20 years. In fact, it was my authors who told me I should be writing--and when people like Francine Rivers, Angela Hunt, and Gil Morris tell you to write, you do it. So my days are spent working with such amazing folks as Terri Blackstock, Brandilyn Collins, Bill Myers, Karen Kingsbury, and a host of others on their novels. And my evenings I'm writing. Yes, it's true: my entire life is make-believe.

So that's me in a nutshell (which is where some folks say I belong. Or was that a nut house...?) Thanks for stopping by to find out about me. Hope your day is full of God's best blessings!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book of Grace, Beautifully Written, August 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Breaking Point (Paperback)

This has to be one of the most grace-filled books to be published in the Christian marketplace. Karen Ball doesn't evade or diminish the pain of the characters' story, but instead writes a riveting novel about what God can do with the patience and perseverance--and trust--of his hurting children.

The author has written an honest, realistic novel about real people and a real God. Powerful writing, wonderful characters, and a memorable story about a marriage worth fighting for.

This is Hallmark movie material--and a great read!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars delightful inspirational romantic suspense, June 11, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Breaking Point (Paperback)

Gabe and Renee Roman were driving almost blind from the blizzard wracking the Oregon Mountains because he wanted to get home to put an end to this miserable trip. Renee and even their Husky Bo are frightened with this storm that leaves visibility at zero. However, Renee is also worried that she and Gabe are finished as a couple as they can no longer communicate and when they do the receiver misinterprets the sender. As Renee ponders the future, suddenly Gabe warns her as their vehicle plunges off the mountainside.

Perhaps it was the deep snow or more likely an act of God, but the three travelers survive the crash though Gabe is unconscious. Somehow they must survive the weather, their feelings towards one another, and a cougar with the most dangerous being their animosity, for to survive, they must work as a team and find their lost beliefs in God because they will need a miracle.

Inspirational romantic suspense readers will appreciate this delightful cliffhanger. Flashbacks provide depth to the lead couple, but also slows down the action caused by the current peril. The "re-finding" of God is brilliantly incorporated into the plot in a no atheist in the foxhole manner yet Karen Ball makes the growing hope and belief seem genuine, as readers will believe in miracles. Fans will reassess what is truly their personal THE BREAKING POINT while enjoying a powerful contemporary tale.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful...a must read for the bewildered and hurting, June 16, 2005

By 

Michelle Sutton (Arizona) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Breaking Point (Paperback)

The Breaking Point is an excellent, honest way of dealing with issues of love and intense pain in a marriage, and the trials that come with. This novel shows a couple's way of working through their issues over a period of years until they find peace with God and each other. It illustrates how there are no quick fixes. I love how the author delves into the hero and heroine's pasts and shows how their childhood influenced the way they viewed the world and themselves even after salvation and how they had to be willing to allow God to heal them individually before they could love each other as they wanted and needed as a couple. It also gave a great accounting of the consequences of sin and the ramification of that one mistake over the years of their marriage. A friend of mine is going through the exact same thing right now. She isn't a Christian, but is open to the Lord. She just lost her baby and was almost six months pregnant and she is struggling to cope. She wants to read The Breaking Point because I told her about the similarities. I hope and pray that full understanding of who God is, and His power to heal, will result from her reading this book.