Customer Reviews

The Moment Between

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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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.

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.

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

I liked this book. It was a bit disturbing at different points (I read all of Karen Kingsbury and Francine Rivers books, so it was a bit different than the christain books I usually read). The point of the book is completely exposed that the end of the book and will really make you look at how God is pruning your own life.

The Moment Between details the intimacy of functioning within a dysfunctional family. Nicole Baart is subtle yet accurate in her portrayal of the dynamics between two sisters, Abigail and Hailey, as they each try to cope within the realm of mental illness. The interaction between the parents and daughters mirrors the reality of cover up, doubt, and denial which is typical for families faced with the strangeness of true mental illness. Abigail appears to have risen above the madness, to a successful career. As the story unfolds, the reader becomes aware that Abigail is more like the walking wounded as she tries to come to terms with Hailey's suicide. In her manic persuit of understanding her sister's death, she becomes obsessed with finding her sister's most recent boyfriend. The story smoothly slips from the present to the past without overwhelming the reader and offers a look at the suffering of each family member as they try to cope with madness.

The Moment Between is a very thought-provoking novel. I will be recommending this book to many of my friends. The story is somewhat mysterious at the beginning. It is rich with emotion and heart. Nicole Baart's descriptive narrative is enthralling and I am including her in my "list" of favorite authors. She is a true wordsmith. There is a lot to be learned from this novel of false guilt and ultimate redemption.

In `A Moment Between', Nicole Baart weaves three separate timelines into a challenging yet uplifting novel. The first story is the first-person account, of finding a dead person in the bath, an apparent suicide. Secondly, we have the current story of Abigail Bennett, a staid, single accountant living in Florida, who suddenly leaves everything, for no apparent reason, to find the unknown Tyler Kamp in Vancouver, Canada. The third story is of Abigail's childhood, living with her much-older father, mother and younger sister. As the story unfolds, the links between the suicide victim, the relationship between Abigail and Tyler, and the impact of the family history become apparent as Abigal battles with her past and with forgiveness.

Nicole's writing is reminiscent of Francine Rivers, in that she is able to develop and hold complex plots and subplots without confusing the reader, and the story is interwoven with through-provoking observations on relevant current issues, particularly about how we in the church think about and treat mental illness. I think fans of Francine Rivers, Lynn Austin and Linda Nicholls will appreciate this book, and I look forward to more treasures from this author.

As an avid book buyer, I find that I don't just read good books...I devour them. From the first few pages I was hooked...and I wasn't disaapointed in the least. This is one of those books that actually make it onto my bookshelf to stay... I love her characters...and even saw a bit of myself, which I am not sure is a great thing (ha ha).

Makes a great book for a cool night, warm blanket and a mug of your favorite hot drink!! Made me think...and I can't wait to read more of her work.

Undeniably well written, The Moment Between is a mesmerizing story of how one sister, Abigail forages ahead in life set on righting a wrong, while the other sister, Hailey tragically succumbed to death, finally overcome by a lifetime inflicted with mental illness. Nicole Baart weaves a tale of obsession and complicated family dynamics as she introduces undertones of faith and aspects of winemaking and selling on a beautiful vineyard in British Columbia. Baart's grasp of language and the way she manipulates words in order to elicit a specific compassion or evoke a particular feeling is undoubtedly a gift that few authors today possess.

I was captivated by Abigail's plight to remedy all that's happened to her sister. I've known and loved someone with a mental illness and Baart depicted the tragedies and chaos surrounding those struggling with mental illness with precision and integrity.

The Moment Between proved to be a wonderful story of forgiveness and letting go. I would highly recommend this read and I'm looking forward to buying Nicole Baart's other books.

This is Nicole Baart's third novel..I loved the first two and I must say, this one was definitely another one that I couldn't put down-I read it cover to cover without stopping..that's Ms. Baart's writing though. She has a way of drawing you into her characters and story, as if they were your very best friends. This powerful story is one of love, love lost, families, friendships and helping those in need. It is the moving story of Hailey and Abigail, two sisters and the life-changing events they endure together. I can't say much more without giving away too much of the story, but you will not be disappointed. For anyone who has ever loved, lost, endured hardship, trials and tribulations, (that's all of us at some point) then this book is for you.