Saturday, October 24, 2009

The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry



Again, this a novel about every married woman's worst nightmare (I've gotta find something light to read next!). Christina Berry has made a significant splash in the pool of contemporary Christian fiction, and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next time.

Denise Littleton's marriage is coming apart at the seams. Craig grows more distant as the days roll by, and she ultimately feels as if she's married to "The Familiar Stranger". When he refuses to go to church with her and the boys one Sunday morning, choosing to go hiking instead, what can she do but watch as he drives off?

But when the call comes during the worship service letting Denise know he's been in an accident, she finds her life turned upside down. The man in the coma is the husband who has drifted away from her. What will he be like once he awakens?

Answers and questions race against one another as Craig comes back to life...only to seem so different. Will he ever regain his memories of his life with Denise and the boys? Can they build a new life together after all that's happened?

And when his memories start to flood back, will answers come, or more questions? Told from dual points of view, his and hers...this is a unique novel with a powerful message. I was gripped until the very end...but the ending fell a bit flat to me.

The twist just wasn't satisfying...and I felt lost in the last few chapters. Still, an amazing debut for a new author to fall in love with. I'm hoping it can hang together through till the end next time.

For now, I'm giving "The Familiar Stranger" four out of five bookmarks, with a cell phone as a charm. Take a peek around the Internet to see what others are saying about this debut novel from a promising new author! Many thanks to Moody Publishers for my copy!

Happy Reading!

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3 comments:

Holly (2 Kids and Tired) said...

This one sounds fascinating. I haven't seen anything about it before.

Lori (sugarandgrits) said...

I've been seeing this book everywhere! I can't decide if it's one I'd like, or not. A friend of mine has highly recommended it...so I'll at least give it a chance at some point.

Thanks for the great review!
~ Lori

Christina Tarabochia said...

Deena, thanks so much for taking the time to read and review The Familiar Stranger! I'm glad I held you for most of the book. My work-in-progress has a pretty strong twist (I think) so maybe I'll keep you on this one!

Thanks for pointing out a place for me to improve. :)

My husband of 13 years left during the edits for TFS, so the forgiveness message became even more of a cry of my heart.