Customer Reviews

Healing Stones (Sullivan Crisp Series #1)

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I completely enjoyed reading this novel. I love to read Christian fiction, however lately some of what I read is a little predictable and shallow. When I starting reading Healing Stones, I was thrilled to see that it was so well written. I have listened to New Life Live (Steve Arterburn's radio show)for years and am interested in human behavior and recovery and therefore was intrigued that it was about a Christian psychologist. I found the book to be more complex and thought provoking than other Christian fiction, encouraging me to take lessons from it and apply them to my own life. Thank you for this book. I am excited to hear that more will be coming. I can hardly wait to see how Sullivan Crisp helps people in the next novel!

Healing Stones by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn is the story of Demitria Costanas who gets caught on film committing adultery and has to try to put her family back together. She turns to Sullivan Crisp, a Christian therapist who is struggling with his own demons. Demi's story parallels that from John 8:3-11 of the adulterous woman. After conducting a months long affair with a fellow professor from a Christian college, Demi is caught on camera and forced to resign her position at the school. Her husband also mysteriously receives a set of the photos and kicks her out of the house and the lives of their two children. The authors tackle a difficult conundrum: how to make an adulterous woman sympathetic without soft pedaling her sin. Demi goes through several stages in her grief at the loss of her lover, job, and family. At first, she hates herself so much that she allows everyone, including her teenaged son, to abuse her. But as Demi comes to understand why she cheated on her husband, she realizes that she wants her family back and is willing to fight to do so. There are subplots involving liberalism on the college campus, as well as Sullivan's past. Sullivan is an intriguing character who uses game shows to help his patients make breakthroughs in their therapy. The authors deal with tough issues about sin and forgiveness and what it really means to be a Christian. The story is powerful, and Demi's husband's last words to her brought tears to my eyes.

Healing Stones is a new series that looks very promising. The book tells a story of adultry and the consequences, but it tells the story by going back and forth between the adultress woman and her counselor, Sullivan Crisp. It's a very honest look at infidelity and the painful aftermath.
An excellent novel, I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

I became aware of Nancy Rue as a writer through her Kindle freebies. Even though I'm outside the targeted age of them, I've loved every one of them. When I discovered she had an adult series, I knew I had to read it. I checked it out of the library first, but I fully expected to be buying it after reading it for future rereads. I'm glad I ignored my impulse to buy immediately. I won't be rereading this book.

The book handles a difficult subject matter--adultery. And the main character isn't the victim of it--she's the one who committed it. Nancy Rue and her co-writer took on a hard issue. I was very excited at the idea.

It starts out wonderfully. You can feel Demitria Costanas suffering. Her husband hasn't been there for her in years, and she's been pulling the load in that relationship by herself for way too long. But she knows she's made mistakes and is trying to solve them. Sullivan Crisp is interesting, and they leave you wanting to know more about him. Then . . .

***SPOILERS*** (including the ending)

Instead of having her be a good person who made a horrible mistake, they make her a victim. Instead of her and a nice guy giving into temptation, she was lead into it by a crazy psycho. Instead of her son being angry at her, he goes into a rage and interferes with her relationships with his sister and father. The "Conservative" people of the school where she was teaching are horrible people who is trying to get rid of a (we are told) great guy. In fact, they are so horrible they come across as cartoon characters. I didn't realize questioning the role of America in today's world was such a large part of religious teachings. Sadly, I thought God's word would be more at the center of debate.

Everything is wrapped up too neatly in many ways. In other ways, it really isn't. Christopher has been put in his place, but am I supposed to believe that mother and son will suddenly get past all their issues just because Christopher made a really big mistake? And her husband will need her now because he's suffered an accident, but they never worked on solving their issues. She's dealt with some of hers, but she can't carry the relationship by herself. And I was left with no real reason to believe that he would change his M.O. when it came to dealing with big problems in his life--turning away from those he loves and into himself. They didn't go to counseling together to deal with *their* issues.

I hate giving this book such a bad review because I have loved Nancy Rue's books in the past (the Real Life series is AWESOME!), but this story let me down.

OK, so I'm a Christian who teaches psychology. But even if I wasn't, I would love this book! The story line is great...intriguing, mysterious, sad and yet, reflects true life.

Sullivan Crisp is a psychologist of the best kind. He is wise yet struggles with his own mistakes. His wit is an adorable bonus.

I won't tell the story line as the blurb above explains it well. If you like contemporary Christian fiction, go for this... you will be glad you did!

I just finished reading Healing Stones, the first of what is going to be a wonderful series. It grabs you on page #1 and holds on until the end. It's a wonderful story of how life's trials, temptations and weaknsses can cause us to be separated from God. And, at the same time, reminds us of God's forgiveness, compassion and healing, available to all who seek it. Healing Stones will cause you to examine your own heart and question your attitude of forgiveness. I would recommend it to everyone, and I am purchasing several more for my friends - what a gift Healing Stones is, to believers and to seekers! Thank you Nancy & Stephen!

Absolutely love how the characters are developed; the book is part mystery, part drama, part self-help. Read this book over a long weekend. It would make a fantastic feature-length movie with a great message!

Healing Stones is one of the most riveting, realistic, and intelligent books I have read in a long time. I highly recommend it, and I can't wait for more books in the series.

There are some books that, after you have read them, you know without a doubt you will never, ever be the same again. Healing Stones is one such book. This book speaks to the very heart of what grace and mercy are all about. There is nothing hidden. The ugliness of sin is depicted in such raw wretchedness you want to turn away from it. The pain of remorse is so poignant and real that your own nerves are left feeling raw. The price of sin embraced and unrepented is shown in gory detail.

And yet...the gentle touch of God's forgiveness and the loveliness of His still, small voice will whisper His promises to you as the characters discover what it means to forgive and be forgiven. When you read the final pages of this book, you will weep with joy over all that Christ has done for His children, for you will feel His touch in your very marrow. And you will never read the parable of the woman caught in adultery the same...

A dramatic description of a book? Perhaps. But for me...for where this message finds me in my own walk of faith and in the midst of my own trials...this book will never, ever be forgotten. For it is written in Christ's precious blood upon the pages of my heart.

"Impossible to put down, a compelling love story of how one couple in love turns their mistakes into joy."