Finding Love in Eureka, California

by Angela Ruth Strong

[phyllish]

You know that feeling you get after you have been sobbing?  That ache in your chest, the deep breaths that kind of catch in your throat and the sense of cleansing?  Though Finding Love in Eureka California is not a depressing book and it has a great ending, reading it is such an emotional journey that, having just finished it, I feel like I am coming out of a good, healing cry.

I am sure that the fact I just read Angela Ruth Strong's touching testimony before reading this story influenced my reaction to the book.  Her personal experience appears to have come to play in this book, not only with her "other" work, but also her past hurts.  And the result is a very sensitive handling of subjects that could be painful if the author is not careful.

There are so very many things covered in this beautiful story.  Adoption, adultery, fear, drug use by a family member.  The author took a broken woman, Gen, who was afraid to allow herself to hope for a good future for herself because of a Bible verse she had read about "the sins of the fathers" being visited on the children to the fourth generation.  Seeing the lives of her adopted siblings and the things they struggled with had her convinced of that, and blinded her to the grace and mercy available to us through the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.  The journey she traveled to learn some critical lessons about God and herself were masterfully told.

Matt had to learn that even if he wants to always be the hero, only Jesus can be our Savior.  His best intentions about not hurting anyone only result in hurting those he is trying to help.

Matt's co-pilot was the one flirting with the fire of attraction to a woman not his wife, but the author made it clear that adultery is not just about the physical act, but the thoughts of the heart.

Some more things I really appreciated about this book include the insight into the inner workings of a small airport which came from the author's real-life experience, a new view of yoga (I had no idea there were so many varieties of it!), and the photography sessions that were included.

Now that I have gotten to know the author through this book, her bio and her testimony, I just want to hop on a plane to go visit her and get to know her even more!

 This review was originally posted on Among the Reads

I am grateful to Angela Ruth Strong for giving me a copy of this book. The fact I received this book for free does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.