Customer Reviews

Any Minute: A Novel

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Any Minute by Joyce Meyer, Deborah Bedford is a inspirational story of one woman's drive to succeed no matter what the costs. A story of insecurity and child hood emotional abuse that will send Sarah into turmoil and making her see that faith is all it takes to overcome what has been done.

Sarah Harper is motivated, ruthless and in all reality self destructive. Mother of two beautiful children and wife of a husband that most of us would treasure she has been blinded to the gifts she has by the drive to prove to herself and others that she really does have great worth. Unfortunately for Sarah she can't see what she has even though it is right in front of her face.

It's not until one unfortunate day and one unfortunate event that Sarah is faced with the realization that she must make a choice of who and what she was and who and what she can be if she is to be given a second chance at life. One life altering event to prove to her that God the Father is indeed listening and watching what she does to herself, her family and all those who come in her path on a daily basis.

Can she see what destructive behavior has been driving her and change this before it is too late? Can she accept the faith of God and Jesus to guide her on the right path for her, her family and all those lives she touches each and every day?

With the help of one old man who is one of God's treasured angels, the spirit of her beloved Grandmother Annie and the innocent love of her small son she will have a chance to redeem herself and have that second chance if she can just accept the faith that God and Jesus do indeed love her just as she is.

This book is a must read for all of us workaholics. I borrowed it from the local library and then purchased a copy to give to a friend. I pray that all who read this book, will take time to give God thanks and then spend time with their family and friends. Quality of a person's life is much more important than money.

Faith in God to provide and remember God is in control, not man.

This is a story about a near-death experience and how it brought love and compassion back to fractured family. The heroine a workaholic and a perfectionist behaved selfishly and irrationally. After an accident in which she drowns is restored to health, she shares her experience and her family experiences a spiritual transformation and return to God.

The story moves along nicely and is told simplistically but was, at times, somewhat preachy. Nevertheless I admit to shedding some tears and being inspired by the book.

by Donna Van Straten Remmert

for Story Circle Book Reviews

reviewing books by, for, and about women

Any Minute held my interest throughout. The characters are real and memorable and the details of background (the Cubbies, corporate America, Joe's car shop, baby care) are accurate. A great read.

Very interesting book which shows how we think so many things are more important than they are.

Any Minute is a new take on a near-death story. The main character, Sarah Harper, is on her way toward a complete family meltdown because of her obsession with her career. Just when you think the pace of her life can't get any more frantic, she accidentally drives her car off a bridge as she speeds toward an "urgent" business meeting. I don't want to give too much away, but suffice it to say that she comes away from that experience with a fresh perspective. I appreciated the fact that the changes in Sarah's life didn't materialize immediately following her accident--but transpire slowly, as the Lord begins to deal with her heart. Although Any Minute is a novel, it contains a powerful message, and I highly recommend it.

In this story of a young woman driven by the need to prove that she is worthy to occupy a spot on this earth, the reader knows right away how the story will evolve. Why she is driven to succeed at all costs becomes clear as the reader gets a glimpse of her childhood. A near death experience brings about Sarah Harper's conversion from hardnosed businesswoman with no time for family or friends to a woman who learns how to treasure those who love her, find time for them, and still be a success in the business world. Eunice Boeve

I've never written a review, so here it goes.

The character development in this book is done very well. You can feel what the character feels in the book easily. Even though I'm not like the main character Sarah, I was still able to empathize with her. The story is a wonderful story that really does inspire you to take note of your own life and what you put your focus on. What's important to you? And, is what you're focusing on worth that focus?

I did, however, think that the book took too long in getting to the turning point of the story--Sarah's accident. But, I also realize that this might have been to get us to the point of being able to empathize with the main character.

This book reminded me very much of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life." The message is that we don't know how much time we have left, and that any minute we could be taken away. Cherish the time you have with your family and don't take them for granted. Throughout the first half of the book, I just wanted to keep screaming at Sarah for the flippant way she was treating her family. I understand that her job was important, but the fact that she couldn't see how it was affecting her relationships really bugged me. I appreciated that the book did not try to make it seem that it was condemning women who work outside of the home and being away from their children. I have read some Christian fiction books that seem to make that point and it always annoyed me at how chauvinist it seemed that the women was supposed to stay at home while the man is the one that does all the work.. In this book however, the story is not blaming Sarah for wanting to work, just how she happened to handle everything.

I think the harshest moment in the book was the fact that Sarah has sacrificed everything for her boss and the company, and has pretty much died trying to do things for them. Yet it doesn't seem to matter at all. Her boss, after finding out about her death, pretty much dismisses it and is already looking to replace her with no sympathy at all. Another heart wrenching aspect of the story is when Sarah realizes why her mother treated and acted the way she did towards Sarah her entire life. While it still doesn't give her the right to act that way towards her daughter, Sarah's mother becomes a more sympathetic character when we find out about her past.

If there's anything I didn't like about the book, it would have to be the ending. I just thought it was too "let's tidy up everything" and seemed rather predictable. I thought it would have had a better effect if the unexpected had happened. Other than this, I enjoyed the book and thought it was a good read with a strong message. It makes you see life in a whole new way.

I loved this book even if it was a little cliche and I could not stop reading. It killed me to have to stop when I got to work with only about 40 pages left to read. Watching Sarah's character was like watching a whirlwind of efficiency blowing through life as she tried to be the perfect wife, mother, employee and yet never really satisfying anyone fully, including herself. After she drives her car off a bridge and plunges into the river she experiences something akin to The Christmas Carol in which she is taken to view pieces of her past, present and future. These experiences make her realize that in her rush she was missing out on some of the best parts of her life.

Although personality-wise I am unlike Sarah her character reminded me that sometimes you just need to slow down and enjoy what is going on around you whether it be your family or just a nice day in the park. Don't always be in such a rush to get from point A to point B that you can't soak what is around you.

I highly recommend this book as it will draw you in and even bring tears to your eyes at some points!