Brad Cutler, twenty-eight, is a rising star at his New York ad agency, about to marry the girl of his dreams. Anyone would agree he has it all … a great career, a beautiful and loving fiancée, and a fairy tale life ahead of him—when memories of a high school girlfriend begin to torment him. Lost innocence and one very difficult choice flood his conscience, and he is no longer sure what the future will bring except for this: He must find his old love and make amends. Haunted by the past and confused about the future, he turns to God seeking forgiveness and redemption.
(Taken from http://www.bookschristian.com/se/product/books/Karen_Kingsbury___/Shades_of_Blue/576018/Shades_of_Blue_Hardcover_Book.html)
Finding Forgiveness| Posted December 28, 2009
Brad Cutler is a driven and professional young man with a busy lifestyle. He works in a New York City office for a company called Kotton Kids Clothing (expensive organic cotton clothing for babies and children).
Brad’s boss and future father in-law asks him to come up with a proper slogan for Kotton Kids Clothing. Brad becomes discouraged and finds difficulty in finding the right words to use. For a brief moment during work, Brad stands still and focuses on the baby photos that are in his office. He can’t help but think about Holden Beach…
From here on, Brad Cutler can’t stay focused on the slogan he was working on or the wedding that will soon come. Brad must take care of a certain thing before he gets married to the love of his life, Laura. He tells his fiance, Laura, that he must go back to Holden Beach to see his old girlfriend. He has to straighten things out with Emma Landon.
Laura is distraught that Brad is leaving so soon and she can’t help but think that Brad might fall in love with Emma. Brad can’t stay even though Laura is insecure about his going. He has to see Emma Landon again. He has to talk to Emma and tell her something that he should have a long time ago… He has to say sorry…
My thoughts on Shades of Blue:
I don’t want to reveal why Brad Cutler needs to say sorry to Emma…though you might already know why. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and it was the first time I had read a Karen Kingsbury book. I’m a complete fan now after reading Shades of Blue and I’ll be reading more of her books.
This story is about forgiving people and receiving forgiveness from people and God. Although there is also another important subject to this story, I’m not going to mention it. I want to keep that a surprise for you…
Validates the Reality of Emotions in Connections with Abortion| Posted July 26, 2012
Shades of Blue is a story that can help everyone understand the implications and repercussions of partaking in abortion on a person's life. Abortion, whether done willingly, naively, or ignorantly, always has a long term effect on a person's life. This story is written by Karen Kingsbury with empathy and insight; she is an author that brings validity to the many variations of feelings that a person experiences when they have been a part of abortion. Shades of Blue is an easy read and one that is hard to put down.
Good!| Posted June 21, 2011
This book was amazing! Every book of hers that i read makes me cry... and this one was no exception. I read it a while ago but i still remember that this was a favorite of mine. I just did not realize that you were able to comment on her books on New Release Tuesday because I'm still kind of new to this whole thing. But Karen is my second favorite all time author. She not only knows how to write well, but also how to touch the hearts of those that have slipped from God. Recommend this one to EVERYONE!!
Inspiring and Beautiful| Posted January 27, 2010
"Everyone has a past.” But what would you do if your past was holding you back from your future? What if you found yourself living a lie? Or letting your faith grow cold? And how can you ever forgive somebody who’s not what you thought they were? Shades of Blue is full of lessons about love, healing, forgiveness and the sanctity of life.
The story centres around Brad Cutler, his fiance, Laura James and Emma Landon, Brad’s high school sweetheart. 9 years ago Brad and Emma gave in to temptation and conceived a child. Rather than raising the child or giving it up for adoption, Brad convinces Emma to have an abortion. Now, before he can commit in marriage to Laura, he feels called to reunite with Emma to apologize for causing the death of their baby. Emma must embrace God’s forgiveness, the love she feels so unworthy of. And Laura must have the strength to forgive Brad for his mistakes and continue to love him. It's a very personal project for Kingsbury, who found herself in Brad's place several years ago when an acquaintance asked for a ride to an abortion clinic and she agreed.
I always cry at one point or another during Karen Kingsbury’s books because you can see each scene play out, feel the pain each person's experiencing. Shades of Blue is no exception. The part that did it for me was when Emma recalls being with a teacher friend of hers who gave birth to a stillborn premature baby. It's the moment where she sees the consequences of her actions.
The only thing about this book that didn't ring true for me was the easy way that everybody seemed to forgive Brad and Emma when they admitted what they'd done. Personally, though, I think the problem was with me and my mindset, not the story. The idea of just moving on after someone drops a bomb on you is so counterintuitive, yet everything about Jesus' life was, too. You might want to spend a little time in Luke chapter 6 after reading this book, as Laura James did. (Hint; logs and specks.)
You might expect a book about the consequences of murdering an innocent baby to take a decidedly accusatory stance. Shades of Blue is not a condemning diatribe, but rather a beautiful story of grace, healing and forgiveness. One that desperately needs to be told.
