Season of Blessing (Seasons Series #4) [Hardcover]

Beverly LaHaye (Author), Terri Blackstock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2002

In this fourth and final novel from Blackstock and LaHaye about the residents of Cedar Circle, Sylvia Bryan is diagnosed with breast cancer--and all the neighbors rally round to help her in fighting it.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Cancer is a short word for something that has such a devastating impact. Why would God allow it to strike Sylvia Bryan—and why now, of all times, when her mission work back in Nicaragua is bearing such fruit and beset by such needs?

For Sylvia, the ravages of surgery and chemotherapy are just part of the struggle. There are the questions, the emotional upheaval—and through it all, one deep desire: that God will use her illness, and that she will glorify him through it.

As the friends of Cedar Circle lend their love and support to Sylvia and her husband, God is at work, knitting hearts, shaping and changing lives, and, out of this season of pain and sorrow, drawing forth blessings that are unforeseen, joyous, and enduring.

Some of God’s greatest gifts come in life’s darkest wrappings. Sylvia Bryan has known this truth for years. But she never anticipated the cost she is about to bear in walking it out.

Concerned over her increasing fatigue, Sylvia’s husband, Harry, has sent her home from their mission work in Nicaragua to undergo testing. The diagnosis is numbing: cancer—a stark, terrifying word that will utterly reshape the trajectory of Sylvia’s life.

How could Sylvia have breast cancer? She struggles with why God would allow such a thing now, at the most fruitful time of her life. The children at the orphanage in León need her. A church in the village needs renovating after the recent hurricane. Her beloved husband depends on her. And there are scores of people, young and old, who need to hear about Jesus and learn about his love through Sylvia’s hugs, her smile, her care, compassion, and laughter.

Sylvia’s malignancy requires strong treatment. With Harry now at her side, she endures a mastectomy and the devastating effects of chemotherapy—and her neighbors at Cedar Circle gather round to lend their support and prayers. As these precious friends pour their love into Sylvia and receive hers in return, each of them wrestles with concerns of their own. Cathy and Steve Bennett, clashing over sixteen-year-old Mark’s educational choices, work through the complexities of raising a blended family. Tory Sullivan’s new job at a school for Down’s children is filled with challenges, rewards, and insights into her own Down’s daughter. And Brenda Dodd prays with all her heart for her husband, David, to know the Lord.

In this final book of the best-selling Seasons series by Beverly LaHaye and Terri Blackstock, the bitter and sweet moments of life give substance to love and faith—and in the midst of friendships, God works in unexpected, powerful ways.

About the Author

She is the founder and chairwoman of Concerned Women for America and shares a daily devotional commentary on the nationally syndicated radio show Concerned Women Today. She and her husband live in southern California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan Publishing Company (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310233283
• ISBN-13: 978-0310233282
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #656,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Terri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over six million copies sold worldwide. She has had over twenty-five years of success as a novelist. Terri spent the first twelve years of her life traveling in an Air Force family. She lived in nine states and attended the first four years of school in The Netherlands. Because she was a perpetual "new kid," her imagination became her closest friend. That, she believes, was the biggest factor in her becoming a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.

In 1994 Terri was writing for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin, Dell and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening drew her into the Christian market. As she was praying about her transition, she went on a cruise and noticed that almost everyone on the boat (including her) had a John Grisham novel. It occurred to her that some of Grisham's readers were Christians, and that if she wrote a fast-paced thriller with an added faith element, she might just find her niche. As God would have it, Christian publishers were showing interest in the suspense genre, so she quickly sold a four-book series to Zondervan. Since that time, she's written over thirty Christian titles, most of them suspense novels.

Besides entertaining her readers, Terri tackles issues that she hopes will change lives. Her recent book, Predator, was inspired by her experiences on Facebook and Twitter, and her concern that people posted too much personal information about themselves. The book deals with an online predator who uses social networks as his playground. She hopes the book will change readers' online habits. Her New York Times best-seller, Intervention, was inspired by her own personal struggles with a daughter on drugs. In the book, a mother hires an interventionist for her drug-addicted daughter. But on the way to treatment, the interventionist is murdered, and the daughter disappears. Barbara, the mother, sets out to search for her daughter. Terri modeled Barbara after herself, and poured many of her own emotions and experiences into that character. As a result, many families experiencing drug addiction have written to thank her for telling their story and giving them hope.

Other recent books include her stand-alone novel Shadow in Serenity, and Vicious Cycle (Book 2 in her Intervention Series). She's also known for popular series such as the Restoration Series, the Cape Refuge Series, the Newpointe 911 Series, and the SunCoast Chronicles series.

Terri has appeared on national television programs such as "The 700 Club" and "Home Life," and has been a guest on numerous radio programs across the country. The story of her personal journey appears in books such as Touched By the Savior by Mike Yorkey, True Stories of Answered Prayer by Mike Nappa, Faces of Faith by John Hanna, and I Saw Him In Your Eyes by Ace Collins.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Realistic and sad as we say goodbye to the four families!!!, November 5, 2002

By 

Bonnie McKinzie (Garden Grove, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Season of Blessing (Seasons Series #4) (Hardcover)

The last couple of the circle of friends to be featured, Sylvia and Harry, are devastated to learn that Sylvia has found a lump in her breast. As they return from the mission fields of Nicarauga, the medical, emotional and relational developments change their lives (and those of the circle) forever.

All the other couples on the cul-de-sac reappear in this final installation. Kathy and Steve are struggling with their blended families and recently-released Mark. Brenda and David still homeschool and barely survive, financially. A surprise ending involves them. Tori and her husband are adjusting to their Downs baby and in each family, the advice and counsel of Sylvia makes life-changes -- all for the better.

I can guarantee that even though the other 3 books had their sad pages at times, this fourth book will have you with the tissues at hand REALLY, REALLY OFTEN. Read with caution if you are sentimental or sensitive.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved This Book!, November 10, 2005

By 

A reader (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Season of Blessing (Seasons Series #4) (Paperback)

I am not much of a fiction reader anymore. A co-worker loaned me the book as her husband picked up a copy at the store. I didn't start to read it right away and after starting it, I'd wished I'd picked it up earlier.

You don't have to have read the other three books to become thoroughly engrossed in this one. I haven't read them- yet. I plan to after reading Season of Blessing. Unless you are one to hide your emotions, expect to shed some tears through the book. You'll also chuckle at some things that happen. The chuckles were appreciated and needed in a book of this nature. Anyone who has lost a loved one to cancer knows what it's like and will be able to relate; thus it will pull on your emotions moreso than others who have not gone through this.

While the basic story is about Sylvia and her battle with cancer, we also get to follow the lives of her three best friends and their families. One is in a second marriage of a blended family and they start to have a great strain placed upon their marriage. Another has a son who had a heart transplant and needs to be on medication the rest of his life. But her husband is self employed and their insurance isn't good, so the expense places a great strain on their finances and she tries to find a job with benefits to ease this. The third is a woman who starts working at the center she takes her child to who has Down's Syndrome. We see her struggles with wondering what her child will or won't be able to do.

While I found there is a book on each of these other families that was written prior to Season of Blessing, you can still very much enjoy this book without having read it. But I am pretty sure you'd enjoy it even more if you'd read the others previously.

The first day I started to read I made it about halfway through the book. It was hard to make myself put it down and go to bed. Had work not been an issue, I probably would have attempted to read it straight through. The next night I read another quarter of the book. I had to take breaks reading the last quarter as it pulled on my emotions strongly.

The ending wraps up many things and brings answers to each of Sylvia's friends. You'll find that despite Sylvia's battle, she has a great impact on the lives of those around her. It is amazing how God can take bad things that happen to His people and use them to do many things.

One thing I did not like about the book was the couple mentions that made it appear God brought this on Sylvia. While I know there are times God may afflict people with something, I am one who believes that much of our sickness and disease comes simply from living in this present world. We live in a fallen world and some things happen just because of this.

Despite this, I absolutely loved the book- yes, even though it brought many tears and brought back many memories from years past. It causes you to laugh and cry and inspires you at the same time. A well written book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't believe this is the last book in this series!, April 8, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Season of Blessing (Seasons Series #4) (Hardcover)

I read all the books in this series! Each was excellent and I really did feel like I was drawn into the circle of friendship with these women. Read the books in order! This last one though-I cried so much and learned many things from these authors. They are not only writing believable fiction but teaching life lessons to all women out there. One of my favorite series ever! Highly recommend! Warning: you may have difficulty getting your work done while reading this series!