Customer Reviews

When Joy Came to Stay

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Maggie Stovall had been living a lie for many years in both her private and public life. As she struggles to maintain the persona of Maggie that everyone knows, she gradually loses control of her life. As her depression deepens, she deserts her church life, her foster children, and finally her husband. Unable to take the pressures of day to day living any longer, she puts herself in a mental hospital and serves her husband with divorce papers. The ensuing story is twofold; plot one deals with Maggie's struggle to overcome her past and her depresson while plot two involves her husband's delving into Maggie's past while searching for answers. Entwined in these two ongoing plotlines is the story of a little girl who is "lost" is the foster care system and only wants someone to love her. Kingsbury's plots and subplots will keep you reading, and this is a wonderful story of God's redemption and unconditional love.

Everyone who knows Maggie Stovall feels she lives a pleasant life. However, while her mask to the world may look nice, inside her mind Maggie wonders if she is going insane. Wherever she happens to be, Maggie sees an image of a child and that takes it toll on her leading to clinical depression.

Maggie knows she is at a crossroad, but has doubts she can take a righteous path to happiness even with God's help. The depression is becoming so debilitating, her marriage and foster caring are in jeopardy. Will she give in or will she allow God to escort her back into the light?

WHEN JOY CAME TO STAY is an inspirational tale about finding God vs. surrendering to depression. Surprisingly, Kate Kingsbury does not provide pat answers and simple Hallelujahs to cure the ailing Maggie. Instead, readers will feel the lead character's growing pain and actually sympathize to the point that when the tale is through, the audience will feel emotionally and mentally drained. This is definitely an inspiring tale for those readers suffering from depression and anyone who needs a lift.

After reading "A Moment of Weakness", I didn't think Karen Kingsbury could have written a better book. Boy,was I wrong! "When Joy Came to Stay" is such a wonderful read! I never knew what depression was all about, but now I feel I understand it better, and have deep sympathy for anyone that has ever gone through it.
Please read this book! You'll be glad you did!

This book did a really good job of dealing with 2 issues: 1. The foster care system and 2. Depression and the masks that people hide behind to hide their problems. The book described
how flawed the foster care system is in allowing abusive people be foster parents and how some kids are shuffled from home to
home, as Amanda was. The book also dealt sensitively with the subject of depression. The book talked about how depression
is not a weakness, but how depression can be caused by years of stress, as Maggie was under with her secret about her baby.
The book also mentioned that for some people, that medication can be an answer to prayer. Maggie was thinking that good
Christians didn't get depressed and was afraid of what people would think of her, yet, as she learned through her treatment
program, that is not the case.

When Christ enters our lives, it's a feeling you will never forget. Christ worked a wonderful miracle for Ben and Maggie. Maggie shut down her heart to her husband and to Christ. She had such a massive secret and deep depression, she shut her whole world out. Is what Maggie finds out is, Christ did not shut her out. He helped her through her feelings about her daughter as well as her husband. Kingsbury once again does a tremendous job on a novel. Depression does happen to Christians. Kingsbury shows us with the Lords strength and scripture, He does lead us to joy. This is an incredible story of Maggie and Ben Stovell, then enters Amanda, Maggies daughter she gave up for adoption years ago. Ben thought he married a wonderful, pure virgin. If it wasn't for the dedication and devotion from her husband Ben,and Orchards Hospital, Maggie would have been lost. Through Christ they both learned to forgive each other and find Joy in the end. This novel sends a strong message about depression and how Christ never leaves us, even if you think you have left Him. Get your tissues ready!

An excellent book. Eye-opening and real life experiences. As always, author Karen Kingsbury did an outstanding job with her subject, foster children and child abuse. A must reader!

I did enjoy the writing of this book. There really was not a "slow" point in the entire story. Though the plot became a bit predictable at the end (my reasoning for 4 stars rather than 5), the story dealt honestly with depression and the "masks" Christians feel the need to wear to be accepted.

This is a book you will not want to put down. It is a book of God's unfailing love and forgivness that is ours for the taking. It is also a living tale of God's protection and perfect plan for all of us. What an outstanding tale!!

This book affected me in a way no book has in a very long time! Thank God for someone who has finally written a book dealing with a variety of timely issues, not the least of which are depression and fostering of children.

Many of us have seen the platitude splashed across church marquees which states, "Too blessed to be depressed". What kind of pious, self-righteous attitude is that? And is that display of "righteousness" intended to bring the depressed and distressed of the world into a closer spiritual relationship with God and those people who worship inside that building where this statement is displayed? I can affirm that such is not the case.

Perhaps this book is so meaningful to me because of my experiences with loved ones who are suffering and have suffered the effects of depression. Also, because of personal knowledge of the effects some children in the foster care system receive and have received.

Do the people we know avoid medical interventions for their diabetes, blood pressure issues, heart problems, cancer, and a myriad of other health problems? Do they rely solely on God and His interventions for cures and treatment? Obviously not, in most situations. But people see depression in an entirely different light. They view it as a weakness rather than the medical condition that it truly is.

Thank you, Karen Kingsbury, for shedding an entirely new perspective on the scripture, "Love covers a multitude of sins". I was also reminded over and over again of Romans 8:28, "All things work TOGETHER for good for those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose".

This book offered an emotional roller coaster for me, and I am thankful I read it.

If you enjoy Karen Kingsbury's books, you'll like this one, too. It does contain some quite disturbing passages. In one chapter, there is a graphic account of a child being savagely beaten by her evil foster mother. Shortly after, a man is beaten nearly to death by a drug dealer.

Short synopsis: An emotionally disturbed wife suddenly walks out on her husband, leaves a note saying she wants a divorce, and checks herself into a mental hospital, where she refuses all contact from her husband. The confused husband starts investigating his wife's past, and eventually discovers the deep, dark secret his wife has been hiding for eight years. There is also a sweet little girl involved, and early in the story you can guess how she is going to fit in.

Yes, things work out maybe too perfectly in the end, but it is typical Karen Kingsbury writing.