The Edge of Grace [Kindle Edition]

Christa Allan (Author)

Book Description

In a matter of seconds her entire world shifted...

An early morning call shatters Caryn Becker's world. Unable to cope with her brother’s news that he is gay, Caryn rejects him and disappears into her own turbulent life as a young widow and single mom. But when David is attacked and nearly killed, Caryn is forced to make hard choices about family, faith, and her own future; choices that take her to the very edge of grace.

"A beautifully written book, The Edge of Grace is a powerful story of the true meaning of grace and love. A brilliant mix of dark and light, laughs and gravity, The Edge of Grace is a must read." —Jenny B. Jones, award-winning author of Save the Date and A Charmed Life series

"Christa Allan takes her character on an emotional journey to a new understanding of acceptance and the joy that comes from forgiveness." —Sandra Robbins, author

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A born and bred Louisiana girl, Christa Allan is an award- winning,multi-published author of stories of redemption for the broken. Her novel, The Edge of Grace, won the 2012 SELAH for Contemporary Fiction. Threads of Hope is her fourth novel. By day, she is a National Board Certified teacher who has been teaching high school English for more than twenty-four years. The mother of five adult children and the totally smitten Grammy of two granddaughters, Christa and her veterinarian husband, Ken live in New Orleans where they await retirement, play golf, and continue to dodge hurricanes.

Product Details

• File Size: 698 KB
• Print Length: 338 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1426713118
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (August 1, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00563K3I0
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #337,117 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Sensitive handling of a tough subject matter July 20, 2011

By christianfictionaddiction

Format:Paperback

Already trying to juggle being a single parent with paying the bills and building up her catering business, Caryn Becker's world is further sent off-kilter after her brother David phones to tell her he is gay. Not knowing how to cope with this news, Caryn chooses to avoid her brother and the close relationship they once had. A sudden phone call reporting her brother was the victim of a hate crime and severely injured propels her back into his life, and forces her to confront her own beliefs and make some difficult choices.

Christa Allen has created a novel that will leave you thinking for days afterwards. Her characters are interesting and realistic, and put a human face on an issue that many are struggling with in the church today - can you be gay and be a Christian? The first few chapters immediately gripped my interest with the drama that was unfolding. Unfortunately, I found the middle of the book to be somewhat slow and plodding, and it wasn't until her brother was attacked that I found the story picked up again in pace, and then held my interest until the end.

Christian readers will appreciate Allen's sensitive handling of the subject matter, and consider for themselves the balance between love and grace and God's truth. Regardless of one's view of homosexuality, this novel is a recommended read to spark thoughtful discussion as we consider our own response to those who identify as David does. A solid recommendation of 4 out of 5 stars.

This review is based on an electronic copy provided by the publisher via netgalley for the purpose of completing this review.

49 of 57 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Could have been much better November 2, 2011

By rstack

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Christa Allan has tackled a weighty topic in her second novel. I think she handles it well in some ways, and not so well in others. My first problem with this novel is that it feels very contrived, almost formulaic. The hate crime seems to be structured as a plot device worked in simply to further the progression of the storyline. The novel drags in several places, too. The main character, Caryn, engages in a great deal of inner dialogue that becomes very tedious at times. The other characters aren't developed fully so it is difficult to connect with them.

My other complaint is that this is Christian fiction, published by a Christian publisher (Abingdon Press), but it simply glosses over the debate over whether or not homosexuality is a sin in God's eyes. Should Christians treat homosexuals with love and kindness regardless of the answer to this question? Of course! And Christa Allan does a fine job of conveying this message. But it would have been nice to see some actual dialogue addressing the verses in Scripture that condemn homosexuality rather than just mentioning the ones dealing with grace. The author also glosses over the debate over whether people are born gay or whether or not it is a choice. The author clearly thinks it is the way an individual is born and can't be changed, but she never engages in an intellectually honest debate over the matter. I would have liked to see the main character, Caryn, as someone well grounded in her faith and someone who was very familiar with Scripture. That could have made for some interesting conversations between the characters.

At one point in the novel, Caryn explains to her 8 year old son, Ben, about his uncle being gay:
"some people are born with brown eyes, some with green, and some people with blue eyes. Even in the same family, different children can have different eye colors. You don't choose eye color. It just is. And blue-eyed people fall in love with brown-eyed ones. Sometimes two green-eyed people fall in love. So sometimes a girl and a boy love each other, sometimes a girl and a girl love each other, and sometimes a boy and a boy love each other."

These are the kinds of explanations you can expect from this novel. I wholly agree with the notion of extending love and grace to others regardless of their sexuality. However, I was disappointed that something labeled as Christian fiction would so deftly sidestep an issue of importance regarding Scripture- Is homosexuality a sin from a Biblical standpoint?

Wherever you come down on the issue, I think this novel would have been far more realistic and intellectually engaging had the author actually fleshed out both sides of the debate.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Will make you think June 22, 2011

By Richard Mabry

Format:Paperback

Author Christa Allan isn't one to avoid the tough subjects. In her first novel, Walking On Broken Glass, she dealt with the heart-breaking problem of alcoholism. In her sophomore effort, Edge Of Grace, we find a widow, struggling to make ends meet while raising a small son, whose life is turned upside down when she finds that her brother is gay.
This novel of Christian fiction is a worthwhile read, one that will keep you engaged from start to finish.Whatever your beliefs about homosexuality, you'll find yourself re-examining them as Christa leads us through the turmoil that follows that opening scene.

More About the Author

A true Southern woman who knows any cook worth her gumbo always starts with a roux and who never wears white after Labor Day, Christa Allan writes women's fiction with hope, humor, and heart.

Christa is the mother of five, and grandmother of three. She recently retired after twenty-five years of teaching high school English, so she doesn't scare easily. She and her husband Ken and their three neurotic cats live in New Orleans in a 170-year-old home where the fans and the lights turn on and off without them. But, they love it because it's in the quirky, artsy Bywater where they're one of the few residents who don't have purple hair and/or tattoos.

Threads of Hope released from Abingdon Press in March of 2013. Walking on Broken Glass (2010) and The Edge of Grace (2011) were also published by Abingdon. Love Finds You in New Orleans (Summerside Press) released in 2012.