It seems like only yesterday that I was reading and reviewing Kim Vogel Sawyer's The Librarian of Boone's Hollow. Well, the author returns with another Christian novel, From This Moment, and this one is set in present-day Kansas. Each chapter goes back and forth between the viewpoints of four main characters:
Texas boy Jase has come to small-town Kansas to be the new youth minister at a small-town church. Trouble is, he thought he'd be doing it with his fiancee Rachel. But Rachel was killed in a car accident, and now Jase is trying to move on without her.
Jase's mentor and the church's main pastor is Merlin. He's been leading the flock of this church for many years, and he's been doing it all by himself. He's happy to have Jase help him out, especially since he's harboring a secret about his health.
One of the congregation members is Kenzie, a former Amish woman who chose to live as an Englischer after her "rumspringe". She's a weaver who uses an old loom and donated clothing to weave rugs and placemats for a mission center so they can sell the items and raise money for missions. But one day, she discovers a ring inside the pocket of a pair of pants, and she's got to find the owner.
Meanwhile, Kenzie's friend and co-worker at the local fabric shop, Lori, is struggling with overeating and feelings of inadequacy due to her strained relationship with her father. When Lori sees Jase at church, she's immediately smitten. But can she put down the pan of brownies to let Jase see who she really is?
Not gonna lie - the ring storyline was pretty predictable, and because this is a Christian novel, you already know that God is going to work things out for the good in the end. Obviously, you also know that romance is going to bloom somewhere, but I was a little surprised at where it all ended up.
Predictability aside, each of the characters has relatable qualities. You'll read this and see part of yourself in each person. And I like that about the book.
What I didn't like so much was some of the hardline literalness some of the characters had when it came to following Bible verses. Maybe it just had to do with Kenzie being brought up in a strict way, and maybe I should just let it go and accept her as is the way the other characters did, but I found it odd that she was so secretive about her weaving projects. I get it - you don't want to draw attention to the good works you're doing because attention is not why you're doing it. BUT then aren't you in effect lying about it? And wouldn't you want people to know so they can donate clothing to you or help out in some way or, at the very least, hear about the Gospel, which Kenzie is so hellbent on bringing back to her Amish family?
Okay, so maybe this review has gone a little too far in the spoiler category. You can see that there are parts of the book that would be ripe for discussion, and the author does include a discussion guide in the back of the book. If you're looking for a good Bible study/book club pick that has a happy ending, then you'll want to consider From This Moment.
From This Moment is published by Waterbrook Multnomah and is on bookstore shelves today.
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