Customer Reviews

Showers in Season (Seasons Series #2)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Blackstock and LaHaye have done it again! I never dreamed that this wonderful writing team could get any better than Seasons under Heaven, but they have. Showers is Season is a story of journeys--Barry's journey into acceptance of a handicapped child; Sylvia's journey into discovering God's plan for her; Cathy's journey into learning how to be a single mom. Showing that life isn't always easy, even for Christians, is what Blackstock and LaHaye do so well. Throughout the ups and downs of life, this group of friends and neighbors continue to rely on God and their strong faith to get them through everything. What a lesson this book holds for all of us! It was such a great book that I could not put it down until I finished it. I am now anxiously awaiting the next book from this great pair.

This second book in the LaHaye-Blackstock series continues the lives of the four families who live in the Smoky Mountains of TN. However, the senior couple, Sylvia and Harry are now serving as medical missionaries in Nicaragua. A hurricane and horrible mudslide season has presented them with unspeakable death and destruction, and the addition of a baby which Sylvia longs to nurture permanently as her own.

The Dodds, Brenda and David are in the background, trying to recover financially from the so-far-successful heart transplant of their young son. Brenda returns to homeschooling and includes Mark, a neighbor boy who is in trouble.

Dr. Cathy Flaherty is a single mother of three teenagers and is attempting to survive the turbulent adolescence of 13 yr. old Mark. She is also experiencing a serious dating season with widower Steve and his daughter, Amanda.

The heart of this book centers on Barry and Tory Sullivan and the news that they are expecting child number three and the subsequent revelation that this child is a Downs Syndrome baby. Staunchly pro-life until this news, Barry is certain he wants to abort this child to, as he puts it, save the child from a life it will hate, and us from a life we won't survive. He is speaking from his pain as the brother of severely handicapped, autistic, Nathan. His comments come from his heart and his gut, and are meant to be his personal way to solve everything for himself and his family. Tory, who up to this point had to have every detail of her life perfect and in order, is determined to carry this disabled child to term. Barry tries to force his choice of abortion and Tory resents him and his horrible solution to their dilemma. Their marriage falters as Barry seeks comfort in a female coworker and Tory reels from the revelation that her husband is not the man she thought he was.

The outcome of these families' heartaches and triumphs all comes together to make this second book a must read for fans of contemporary Christian fiction, as well as for families and friends who know someone with a handicapped child. It is well written with feelings, worries and concerns all spelled out precisely but handled professionally, gently, and Biblically.

Thank you Beverly LaHaye and Terri Blackstock for tackling this explosive topic in a thorough and yet compassionate manner.

I thought that LaHaye and Blackstock would never be able to duplicate and certainly not be able to top the writing in the 1st book of this series. How wrong I was!! This book is even better than the first! I can now relate even more to the characters of Cedar Circle, and I feel like they are my best friends. I can hardly wait to turn each page so I can find out what happens next. I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to read the 3rd book, because I know I won't be disappointed.

This book was amazing! I had no idea that they were putting out a second book to follow up the first, but I read it in 3 days, couldn't stop. This is a MUST read - really makes you thankful for everything that you have!

You became a part of the neighborhood. Read the whole series and wish there were more.

This is a touching story that centers on Tory, pregnant with a Down's Syndrome child, and her husband, Barry, who knows what it takes to raise a Special Needs child. He watched his mother raise his Autistic brother. Tory and Barry have a deep discussion that brought this reader to tears.

Other vital issues are covered in this novel. Cathy keeps a secret from Steve because she fears he won't want to continue to see her if he finds out. Sylvia and Harry face a challenge in their work as Nicaraguan missionaries through the after effects of a hurricane. Brenda struggles in her new job with a demanding boss, while she longs to return to homeschooling.

Writing in the third person point of view enables the reader to follow the thoughts and lives of several characters as they interact with one another. Short chapters help keep the plot moving. Characters are quite believable. All in all, this is an enjoyable read.

I did not read the first book in the series, but I had no problem understanding the characters or the plot.

Excellent Excellent Excellent Book. Not so heavenly minded as to be any earthly good. Just a solid Christian community and the struggles the residents face. Real life. Real people. Real problems. And a very real faith in Jesus who helps them through. Loved the book!

Each of the books, while continuing the stories of all four families, has a particular focus on one family in each of the books. This one paid special attention to Tory and Barry who have two children, a boy and a girl.

Tory and Barry unexpectedly discover that their third child is along the way. Their world suddenly changes when they find, due to testing during the pregnancy, that the baby has Down's Syndrome. Both are thrown into a tailspin.

Tory comes to accept this even though she has concerns, but Barry, who has a brother with severe autism, does not. He can only envision a child who will be miserable and not contribute anything in this world. He recalls different times in his childhood where having his brother around brought him pain. His brother is still being cared for by his widowed mother. All Barry sees is that Nathan just sits there and whistles whatever tune he last heard, while staring off somewhere.

Barry, an ardent pro-life supporter in the past, brings the unspeakable thought to Tory; he wants her to have an abortion. Tory is caught unprepared that her husband would even think such a thing, let alone continually pressure her to have it done and she loses the respect she once had for him. Things become quite tense and communication breaks down with Barry sleeping in the basement and coming home late all the time.

I loved how the authors handled this. One of them has a relative with Down's Syndrome. One thing I've appreciated with these books is that they have shown the characters as being real- with real faults and struggles and victories. The struggle Barry has in his mind is a very difficult one and yet when he finally allows it, God is able to speak to him and show him that his brother's life has not been as he thought.

I'd recommend this to any family who has a member who is disabled in some way. And to those who do not, so they will gain a little insight.

This book is wonderful in so many ways. First, the characters and situations are so real and powerful. But it is the Sullivans' situation that really hits on the important issue of life in our country. It has everyone facing their own souls and asking whether they would have been Barry or Tory in the same situation. It is a book I would recommend to everyone.

I found this book by accident, and I loved it. I rarely cry at a book, but this one brough the tears. It was so real. I have friendships like the ones the women in the book did. The characters were real people- they struggled, made mistakes, and dealt with anger and pride and personal weaknesses.

A lot of the time I felt like the messages and advice in the book was for me, not just for the character who needed to hear it. I highly recommend this book to everyone.