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Sarah Laden is a young widow raising two sons. Nate, a rebellious teenager, has been skipping school. His younger brother Danny is having trouble with his fifth-grade studies, and his personality has changed drastically. No longer a sweet and cheerful child, he is now irritable and attention seeking. Sarah runs a successful catering business to support her family, but she is depressed and yearns for the happy family that was hers before her husband’s death.
Sarah’s friend Courtney helped her through the death of her husband and has always been there for her. Courtney’s son Jordan is Danny’s companion. When Jordan attempts suicide and Courtney is arrested, Sarah learns that she didn’t really know Courtney at all. She struggles to believe in her friend when evidence shows she has been complicit in a child pornography ring in which her own son Jordan was horribly abused by his father and others.
Bringing Jordan into her home as a foster child puts additional stress on Sarah’s family, but in the end her efforts are rewarded. The story is told from the alternate perspectives of Sarah, Nate, Danny, and Jordan, allowing the reader to see how each is affected -- and how each learns and grows from the tragedy.
The subject matter is distressing, revealing evil in the midst of “normal” people. However, the characters’ hope of overcoming with love and understanding prevail. Kittle has done an excellent job of writing about a subject that no one wants to think about, and focuses on healing rather than destruction. This is a story you won’t soon forget. I’ll look for other works by this author.
Reviewed by Marie DisBrow
for The Road to Romance
May 17, 2006
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