The Moment Between (Center Point Christian Fiction (Large Print)) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Nicole Baart (Author)

Book Description

Series: Center Point Christian Fiction (Large Print) | Publication Date: June 2009

Abigail Bennett was completely in control of her life until tragedy pushed her to the brink of something she’s never experienced: Obsession. Now she’s given up everything she’s ever worked for to chase down the object of that obsession. His name is Tyler Kamp. As Abigail follows him across the border into Canada, her journey is awash in memories of family and childhood, especially those of her younger sister Hailey. Even as Abigail races into her future, her past pulls her back. Only when she is brought to the edge of her obsession will she be able to come to terms with the tragedy that ignited it.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Baart (Summer Snow) writes an emotionally intense tale of two sisters. Past and present alternate as the history of their family unfolds in order to explain their present circumstances. The present is largely set in a winery in British Columbia, where one of the sisters, Abigail Bennett, pursues Tyler Kamp, her sister Hailey's boyfriend. The vineyard offers opportunity for beautiful description and resonant imagery as the narrative unspools. Abigail is presented in painful, almost claustrophobic, detail as she deals with the central puzzle of her family and history. But some of the supporting characters, while intriguing, are slightly off-pitch. Hailey's boyfriend Tyler isn't presented fully enough, and winemaker Eli Dixon occasionally becomes more of a symbol than a character with a compelling back story. But Baart has exactly right the members and dynamics of the Bennett family, locked in the manic dance of mental illness. She tells a poignant and gripping story. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

In this complex story of two sisters, Abigail Bennett is an accountant whose well-ordered life is turned upside down when she pursues her obsession, Tyler Kamp, to a winery in British Columbia. Tragic yet hinting at mercy and forgiveness, Baart's (After the Leaves Fall) well-crafted contemporary novel features engaging characters and will appeal to readers who have had to deal with difficult family relationships. For CF and women's fiction collections.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 527 pages
• Publisher: Center Point Large Print; Lrg edition (June 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602854807
• ISBN-13: 978-1602854802
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,354,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nicole Baart lives in a small town in Iowa and is the mother of three young sons. After the adoption of her second son from Ethiopia, Nicole discovered a deep passion for global issues and co-founded a non-profit organization, One Body One Hope, that works alongside a church and orphanage in Monrovia, Liberia. An accomplished novelist, she was a 2009 Christy Award finalist for fiction. Visit her website at http://www.nicolebaart.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Wine, June 17, 2009

By 

K. Ganshert "Katie Ganshert" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Moment Between (Paperback)

I just finished the last page of The Moment Between, by Nicole Baart. I feel like I always feel after finishing a wonderful book - satisfied and a little sad. Satisfied because the ending was beautifully written and thought-provoking, and sad because I hate to say goodbye to the world Nicole created.

The Moment Between explores the ties of family, the chains of mental illness, and the power of redemption. This three-tiered story centers on sisters, Abigail and Hailey Bennett. It begins with a tragedy that alters Abigail's life and catapults her into the throws of obsession. This obsession propels her to leave her successful life in Florida and leads her to a vineyard in British Columbia. Nicole Baart masterfully weaves together three distinct time periods in Abigail's life: her childhood with Hailey, immediately following the tragedy, and her trek to B.C. in pursuit of her obsession. The three stories come together bit by bit, revealing intriguing layers of Abigail's life until the very end.

The story is rich in psychology, dealing with family dysfunction and the impact of mental illness. Nicole Baart's prose are captivating and beautiful, reading like poetry and gliding over the tongue like a fine wine, which is appropriate, as wine is used symbolically throughout the novel. The characters are deep, the plot is piercing, and the message is subtle, yet profound. If you are looking for a story that will stick with you long after you shut the book, this is a must read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad...for Christian Fiction. :), May 27, 2009

By 

lawliss (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Moment Between (Paperback)

This was my first foray into overtly Christian Fiction since reading J.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring and the Left Behind Series and The Chronicles of Narnia. I'll be really honest here - I tend to stay away from Christian literature (unless they're classics like Tolkien or Narnia) because the authors and books tend to be really too smarmy and pat and tidy and that's annoying because life is rarely pat and tidy, even if one believes in Christ and has faith that He will save one at the end of things. So I was very wary going into this novel, skeptical even. But I actually kind of liked it.

The main character is Abigail Bennett. Abby is a thirty-something accountant at a mid-sized firm in Florida, where she has a reputation of being smart and hard-working. She is so well liked by her co-workers and superiors, and is such a rainmaker that she quickly becomes a partner. And there is no doubt that she loves her work and thrives in this environment. Her life absolutely detonates when tragedy strikes Hailey, her younger sister - the younger sister that Abby has dedicated her life to protecting and raising. In order to seek closure, Abby travels to rural British Columbia to confront Hailey's boyfriend, Tyler, who has become the object of her obsession. Abby finds that Tyler is working in a winery owned by his uncle, Eli, and finds herself forming genuine friendships with him and her co-workers. Even though Abby is there, with Tyler, she finds herself unable to gain closure until she turns to God.

There are two rotating subplots apparent in this novel that keep the reader hooked throughout the novel. Without them, I doubt I would have remained interested enough to finish - we catch glimpses of Abby's life growing up with Hailey (who is mentally ill), her present life at the winery and her narration of the moments when her life implodes. These bits and pieces are skillfully woven together in a tight knit fabric that is wrought with tension at almost every turn. What I also enjoyed about this novel is that it gave me a picture of a family that could really exist outside of the pages of a novel. The characters were realistic, faced challenges that are faced by normal, everyday people (mental health, death, inadequate mental health treatment) and struggle through their challenges. The author acknowledges her character's struggles and deals with them with dignity.

Generally, this was a pretty decent novel. Definitely worth a shot.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars poignant look at mental illness, May 5, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Moment Between (Paperback)

Thirtyish accountant Abigail Bennett enjoys working at Johnson, McNally & Bennett in Rosa Beach, Florida although tax season can be hectic. However, her life explodes when tragedy strikes her younger sister, Hailey. Unable to cope, an obsessed Abigail seeks closure so she quits her partnership and travels to British Columbia to confront Hailey's boyfriend Tyler Kamp.

In the Canadian winery where Tyler works, Abigail meets him. She begins to make friends with him and others employed there and surprisingly she finds she likes Tyler. Abigail also finds he cannot give her closure; only by turning to God might she find what she seeks.

The story line contains two rotating subplots: the present with Abigail in Canada and the past as she and her family relations unfold. Filled with passion, Abigail keeps the overall plot focused with her first person viewpoint and her actions in the third person perspective. Although the support cast outside of the two sisters are never lucid enough especially Tyler to understand who they are beyond how they relate to the siblings, Nicole Baart provides a deep poignant look at how mental illness takes a toll on anyone in that person's circle especially family.

Harriet Klausner