One Woman Falling (Whispers of Grace, #1)

by Melanie Campbell

[phyllish]

Read it and weep!

This intense debut novel devastated me. I know several women who are going through similar battles to the one Cassie faces in One Woman Falling, which may have influenced my thoughts on the book, but I doubt it.

The writing contains such emotional depth. Before I read the author's notes, I would have said that it is clear she did her research. Now that I've read her notes, I know she used her personal experiences, making it even more compelling.

While abuse drives Cassie from her house, taking her four-year-old daughter, Renee, with her, it is not violent. Cassie's struggle with doing the right thing, protecting Renee, and dealing with her grandmother's failing health drive her to seek answers about whether God can help her and whether he even cares.

I appreciated that the author didn't throw in easy answers or fall back on clichés. The narrative is very insightful and deeply compassionate. While Cassie has the sense of being overwhelmed, there is a glimmer of hope throughout the story. I appreciated seeing Cassie's grief over the loss of her best friend, the man she fell in love with. I sometimes forget that abused women have loved the men doing this to them and only look at how awful the men seem at the time.

Having lived in the Eugene/Springfield area, I enjoyed reading about familiar places. I have been to a number of the waterfalls mentioned and they are as beautiful as described. Completely drawn into this fascinating story, I found myself wondering if I had ever been to Derrick's car lot or passed Cassie in the grocery store.

I recommend One Woman Falling to anyone who has questioned whether God cares. I especially recommend it to anyone dealing with an abusive spouse or a custody case. I hope to be more compassionate with those I know involved in these situations and can better understand what they are going through.

If you enjoy challenging Christian fiction, be sure to catch One Woman Falling!

Read my full review at Among the Reads


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.