The Joy of Falling

This is such a powerful story of walking through grief. I loved the way that it showed that people walk through grief differently and at different paces. \\nLindsay Harrell writes this story with such hope and encouragement. Although it is fiction it is so real. There is something in this book for everyone whether you have lost someone or are walking the journey with someone else. Beautiful.

Two sisters in law, united by a common grief, and brought together by a unique opportunity. It's a great premise, and while it did not motivate me to run any distance, the characters somehow managed to convince me that running an ultramarathon for 155 miles around the South Island was a great idea. (Hint: it's a noble objective, and the scenery is fantastic, but I prefer to tour via a car, thank you very much. )\\n\\nI've visited many of the New Zealand settings from The Joy of Falling, and I definitely enjoyed those parts of the book. It's great to read about a familiar setting, and especially to see it through the fresh eyes of visitors. Being in a new country gave the women (and the children) a chance to rediscover themselves. \\n\\nThe writing was excellent. The story is a sensitive examination of grief from different perspectives. It's also a story of discovery and making choices and finding the blessings in life, even in the hard times. It's not an overtly Christian story, but the underlying themes and values are definitely Christian, and the overall tone is straight out of the Bible: be joyful always . . . even when it's hard. \\n\\nThanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.