Customer Reviews

When You Believe: A Novel

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

 

 

This is a moving, superb keeper of a book. The subject matter is daring, the characters truly special, and the question of who's telling the truth--Shelby or Charlie--will keep you turning pages 'til dawn. Best of all, the writing is simply stunning. It's rare these days to find an author of popular fiction--whether in the ABA or CBA market--who has such an exquisite eye for detail and a genuine love of the English language. With every page, Ms. Bedford brings her setting and characters to vibrant life. You'll feel as if you're standing beside them in their struggles, discovering God's grace at the most unexpected moments. Don't miss this book.

Sometimes, you don't want the answers to your questions, as Lydia Porter learns when she pushes troubled student Shelby Tatum to tell her what's wrong. Shelby reveals that she has been violated by a teacher, and not just any teacher. The man who hurt her is Lydia's fiance', Charlie Stains. Suddenly, Lydia is caught in a nightmare between doing what is right and standing beside the man she loves, despite accusations. Desperation and prayer will lead her on a quest for the truth that will either set her free or damn her hopes.

**** This timely plotline has much to say about faith and love. Lies that seem preferrable to truth are their own trap. Christian fiction gets slammed for being too goody two shoes feel good and fuzzy. In other words, having little to do with reality. Novels like this one shatter that myth. ****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore

This was a treadmill book and I got through 290 pages in two nights, and at least partly as a result of that, got my star at Weight Watchers for losing 20 pounds. It was an interesting fast-moving story though I found the part about Lyddie's relationship with the student in question to be somewhat unrealistic. It is a Christian novel and deals with themes of trust, love, forgiveness and especially, the presence of God. Grade: B

Someone has said that a truly good book evokes some sort of emotional response from the reader. When You Believe certainly did that during the two days I read this book. I experienced frustration with the characters, anger, hope, sorrow, disbelief and more.
Overall, I found the book to be well-written. However, I felt the detailed accounts of the homecoming preparations and game were a bit irrelevant and overdone. Much of the details added little or nothing to the plot.
Lydia, as a young high-school counselor, made several mistakes in her investigations of Shelby's story of sexual abuse, the first and foremost was pressing for Shelby to name the guilty party. On a realistic, "today" level, it would be dangerous and suspect for a teacher to allow herself to be alone and so personally involved out of school with a student in this situation.
My biggest disappointment was Lydia's treatment of Charlie, and if I were him, I'd not have given her a second chance!
In the end, as they say, all's well that ends well. Bedford did a good job of covering the identity of the real abuser until near the end of the book.
For teachers, like myself, this book is one that tugs at the heart.