By Andrea Renee Cox
A book I recently read has
stayed with me these past few weeks. Meg Moseley’s A Stillness of Chimes
held my interest from the very beginning as I wondered what troubled the lead
male character, Sean Halloran. As that mystery, and many others, was revealed
over the course of this novel, the characters wiggled into my heart. Laura,
Sean, and Cassie each had their own problems to face, but I particularly
connected with Laura Gantt.
Her battle to believe or
disprove the rumors that her dad, who was thought to be lost to the lake, has
been seen wandering around town reminds me of the story I’m writing right now.
Though there isn't any hope for my character's loved one to return, the rumors surrounding Laura
Gantt’s father cause her to doubt everything she knew to be true. As Laura
says, “This news about my dad… It changes everything.” Who knew one little
whisper could change the entire dynamics of a lifetime of memories?
The one thing I don’t like about
this story was the inclusion of affairs. I realize it’s a part of real life,
but it isn’t something I’m drawn to in the fictional books I read. I’d rather
read about loyalty in marriage as it’s the way I believe God created marriage
to be between a husband and wife. However, I believe this book may provide
guidance to God’s saving grace for those who have made similar decisions in
their lives.
I especially enjoyed Meg’s style
of writing. The reason? Because I never noticed I was reading a fictional
story. It all seemed so real, so vivid. I was immersed in the characters’ lives
as if I were living among them. It’s obvious a novel is well written when you
don’t notice the author. Sometimes pet words or habits in sentence structure
cause me to lose focus on the story and notice the author’s presence more. I’ve
read two Meg Moseley books so far, and I never had that problem through any of
the chapters in either novel. My hat’s off to her, and I look forward to
discovering more of her creative storylines.
Thank you so much to WaterBrook
Multnomah for a complimentary copy of A Stillness of Chimes in exchange for this honest review.
What pet peeves do you have about fiction books? What are your favorite
aspects of reading fiction?
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