Customer Reviews

The Other Daughter (The Homecoming Series, Book 1)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Other Daughter by Miralee Ferrell starts out with a bomb dropping into Suzanne Carson's world. On the evening of her birthday, a thirteen year old girl shows up on her doorstep claiming to be Suzanne's husband, David's, daughter. While David and Suzanne's two children, especially daughter Megan, accept Brianna without hesitation, as does David's father. But Suzanne is bitterly resentful at David's unfaithfulness and sees it as a sign that his God and religion are illusions. David loves his wife and children dearly, and for fear of hurting them keeps his distance as well from this young, vulnerable girl. It's not often in Christian fiction that in a marriage, the husband is portrayed as the faithful one and the wife as the unbeliever. Suzanne's insistence on relying only on herself separates her not only from God, but from David, Brianna, and even her children. Ferrell's writing is skillful as she portrays Suzanne sympathetically even when she's acting in a way that's not. Because she writes so openly about Suzanne's hurt and pain, it's easy to care about the character and appreciate her growth throughout the story. While the ending may be a little pat (but entirely enjoyable), Ferrell excels at creating a powerful story with realistic characters about the power of trusting in God.

How does a wife deal with the sudden appearance of her husband's daughter that she never knew about? Miralee Ferrell's debut novel lays bare the emotions of broken trust and a marriage unequally yoked--and Ferrell does it with the perceptivity of a seasoned author.

I found Susanne's emotions to be gut-wrenchingly honest and the spiritual thread believable. Too often in Christian fiction, the change in a character is forced. When Susanne seeks affirmation for her hurt from a friend, the advice she gets leaves her unsure. The gradual transition in Susanne is sparked by the faith of her young daughter, Megan, and the understanding of a family friend.

Being a step-mother, I totally related to Susanne's emotions throughout the book. Ferrell hasn't pulled any punches in this hard hitting novel, and it receives this reviewer's highest recommendation.

Susanne Carson has some problems, but trusting her husband is not one of them. David is a good man, a wonderful father to their two children, and a kind, caring husband. Aside from his involvement in the Christian faith, which Susanne cannot bring herself to embrace, their marriage is mostly good.
Then Brianna shows up on their doorstep, battered suitcase in hand, claiming to be David's daughter. If not for the girl's striking family resemblance, Susanne would refuse to believe the possibility ... but there is that likeness - and a letter from the teen's deceased mother. Then, of course, there's the fact that David admits it is most likely true.
With a strange, unwelcome child in their care and a widening wall between Susanne and David, their home becomes an emotional battlefield of hurt, disillusionment, and shattered trust. Susanne's unwillingness to place her life in God's hands is strengthened by David's deception. Can she ever forgive him? Will she ever be able to love his illegitimate child?
When Brianna's abusive, alcoholic uncle shows up to reclaim the girl, Susanne and David are forced to come to terms with their own feelings and make some hard decisions. Will their love be strong enough to withstand a test of this magnitude?
A marriage in trouble. Two hearts in conflict. A soul at the crossroads.
In The Other Daughter, the author combines all the fascinating elements into a compelling, utterly believable piece of beautifully wrought fiction. It's an unforgettable journey into a mother's heart, a family's love, a couple's faltering relationship. Miralee Ferrell's debut novel is rich with believable characters and poignant situations, and laced with wonderful little details that provide a wonderfully realistic setting. It's a work of heart that will not be easily forgotten.

This was an awesome read, one that will stay with me for a long time to come, for it truly stirred my emotions right to the core of my existence.
This story was about a couple enduring trials through the unexpected arrival of a young girl at the front door. This young girl would change all their lives as the story unravels of who she is, and where she has come from. Their reactions and interactions as well as their inter most thoughts play out in a emotional drama that will make it hard for you set this book down as the story unfolds.
I felt it was the first book that I have read that really showed life from a Christian perspective.
How, you ask? It showed the difficulties that people not only face in real life situations but also what we struggle with inwardly in our Christian walk. It clearly shows the different mind set between a believer and a non-believer and how that effects our relationships.
I highly recommend this book! It certainly sets a new stage for writers of Christian novels to attain. Excellent!

Throughout their marriage, Susanne Carson thought she had the perfect husband. He is always there for her and their two children, is a hard worker and -- she doesn't approve or agree with this area in his life -- is a God-fearing and faithful Christian. David has tried to get Susanne to accept Christ in her heart, to no avail. And it appears that it will never happen, not now that something so shocking and disturbing has occurred. A young girl arrives at their home, claiming to be David's daughter. Her uncle drops her off and drives off before anyone could ask him any questions. It appears that Brianna is the product of a one-night stand David had before he married Susanne. They were not married at the time, but they were already engaged. David had no idea the child existed until now. God has brought a big test in the Carson household. Will this curveball bring them closer together, or tear them apart?

I enjoyed the part in the Bible where David sees Bethsheba bathing and, though she's married, feels he must have her. This sin, though forgiven, has its consequences that cause other grievances throughout David's life in the long run. David Carson experiences something somewhat similar in The Other Daughter and I wonder if Miralee Ferrell had that in mind when she wrote this book. The things Susanne goes through are understandable. The confusion, the pain and sense of betrayal are quite palpable. And how could she be expected to believe in God and accept Christ as her personal savior when she witnesses the past actions of a so-called Christian? This is a wonderful and realistic family drama that everyone -- Christians and non-Christians alike -- should read. Susanne's turnaround is one of the most wonderful scenes I have read in this genre. Ferrell is a great author and I wish her all the luck in the world with this wonderfully touching book. A must read!

When I learned about this book, I laughed and shook my head. Who gives a crap? Right? I certainly didn't! But that changed. And thanks to Miralee Ferrell, I was treated to a dose of reality. Sometimes supposed "Women's Fiction" should just be labeled "Christian Fiction" just like the other books advertised on Christian Book Distributor. I think the same mistake might be made with Francine Rivers. You look at the covers on these things, and you automatically think of it as a glorified sissy book. That's just not the case. On the other hand, nobody got cracked in the jaw like I would've liked! But it was still a great read, and a lesson learned. There are husbands out there that could take a lesson from this book. I nearly took a trip down memory lane myself.

Meet the Carson family, David and Susanne, and their two children, Josh and Meagan. A nice and happy family with no real distractions, and that's the way they like it! Well, Susanne gets a rude awakening. Her name is Brianna, and she's David's daughter, or so she claims. Her Mommy said so, her Mommy died, and she has Mommy's word that David's her Daddy, so HA! Right? And even though it wasn't in the book, when David found this out, despite being a Christian, an expletive probably came to mind. And Susanne is hit with what appears to be an awful truth concerning David's past. Could it possibly be true? What does the man of the house have to say about this, that God will heal everything?! OK!! David has been preaching about trusting in God for quite sometime. What are people going to think?

Well, what do I think? I think that this hits home, and for good reason. I came extremely close to pulling my own David Carson when I first got engaged, and Christ helped me escape. But I'm telling you, I was THAT CLOSE!! It still pisses me off, and I'm still forgiving myself.

If you run across this, don't think that it'll be like a Joyce Meyer sermon, and then everybody hands out recipe cards and says something nice about everybody else. Get real! This is real! And real hurt surrounds it, and real crap comes out the wrong end at times. If that offends you, then Joyce might be perfect for you! Take an extremely close look, and you'll see that it is based on an actual event. So if it hits close to somebody like me who only thought about something stupid, I wouldn't want to know the real story. But I do know that this isn't some sissy story. And that husbands might take a lesson from the pages within. I'm glad I took some time. Thank you, Miralee!

Miralee Ferrell has written an impressive debut novel. Not only did she cover the basics well, but she tackled an explosive topic and defused it with grace.

The Other Daughter is realistic and brutally honest. Ferrell paints a picture of the consequences of sin and the awesome gift of grace and forgiveness.

I would recommend that The Other Daughter be on the "to read" list for stepmothers. If nothing else, for the sense that they don't walk the road alone. Readers who prefer softer themes may be bothered by the actions and words of some of the characters. If you don't do gritty, The Other Daughter may not be for you.

I was particularly interested in reading this story because I have spent some dark moments in similar places. Ferrell has written 3-D characters who reveal some heavy-duty and unChristlike thoughts and I appreciated it. You won't find Polly Pleasant within the book, but you will find people who sort through extreme emotions and filter them through Jesus and learn a whole new facet of love.

I think that is exactly what Christian fiction should do -- tell the truth that we all smell bad every once in awhile, and that the bathwater of Jesus' forgiveness is warm, fragrant and available. We can't live good lives without Him and I love to read stories that present that fact.

This book relates to so many. Many people struggle daily with "mixed" relationships. I myself am married to a non christian. "The Other Daughter" shows us a story where prayer, faith and patience does work. It gives folks like me hope that people can change. Miralee uses modern day issues that so many can relate to. You will come to really connect with the characters and find a trait in each that you can identify with. I cannot wait to see what Miralee comes up with next.

The Other Daughter is not the type of story that I would typically pick up and read, but the premise intrigued me, so I gave it a go. Susanne and David Carson seem like they have a picture perfect marriage and family. And then a wrench is thrown in the works in the form of a surprise visitor, Brianna, who claims that David is her father. The plot from that point on is predictable. I knew early on what the 'twists' and 'turns' would be. They were easy to see coming, but the reason I kept reading was because the author was able to convey very realistically the evolution of Susanne's character, and her coming to believe and have faith in God.

There were more things in this book that bothered me; little things that should have been ironed out during the editing process (unrealistic sounding and overly simplistic dialogue, redundancies, etc). I am a picky reader so little things like that bother me. Also, the characters were hard to like. Susanne came off as selfish and immature. In a way this was understandable: she views Brianna as a threat, being a physical manifestation of her husband's infidelity, but as a mother and an adult, you would think she would set a better example. There are times that Meaghan acted more mature than her mother. I am hoping that these are simply first book issues and that the author will grow and improve with future publications.

A book has to be stand-out, one that I would re-read, to be rated 5 stars, but the story and the characters stayed with me for days after I had finished the book. The theme of accepting and loving someone for who they are rather than what you want them to be is strong and resonantly conveyed. If you are in the mood for a different sort of Christian fiction, give The Other Daughter a try.

Miralee Ferrell has written a story that will tug at the hearts of anyone who has ever welcomed a step-child into his or her life. Although "The Other Daughter" concerns an unexpected arrival, the insights into the feelings of the child involved are important to remember for anyone who is facing a blended family situation. Too often the adults involved fail to think of how the child feels when brought into a new family dynamic.
Miralee's book gains tension as the story progresses. I won't spoil the climax, but will say it kept me turning the pages when I should have turned off the light and gone to sleep!