Inspiring and Beautiful
Posted January 27, 2010
By LauraCC,
"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. View All Music And Book Reviews By LauraCC | View LauraCC's Profile
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