Peace finally beckons to widowed Miranda Hanford when her controlling pastor announces a church-wide move to another state. Hoping to find a balance between the Jesus she loves and the legalistic rules of pastor Chandler, Miranda is seeking a way out when a severe accident cripples her, making her and her six children dependent on her brother-in-law. Professor Jack Hanford finds himself temporarily in charge of the Miranda’s homeschooling efforts and is at a loss to understand the rules binding the family. Can Miranda break free before Chandler condemns her publicly or Jack stumbles across hidden family secrets?
Meg Mosely writes a truly compelling story about faith and forgiveness. No part of this story reads like a book; instead, it feels as if a good friend is sitting across the table, describing the neighbor who lives just down the street. Miranda and Jack feel as if they could leap out of the book at any time – both make you want to know them, to know more, to become their best friends; despite their secrets and flaws, or maybe because of them, they are real. Mosely’s word choice is incredibly descriptive but also adds to the characters’ intrinsic self; the words used by each one are not generic, but add depth and layers to each person.
I loved the way that this book added suspense while drawing you in closer to each character’s life. The full meaning of Miranda’s secrets or Jack’s motivation is not known until the very end, but learning what they’ve hidden only makes you connect further with each one.
This is one book that I can see myself reading over and over; the first read isn’t going to be enough. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
If you’d like to read the first chapter of When Sparrows Fall for free, check it out here! Mosely’s first novel won’t become available until May 3rd, but you can preorder it here.
I received a free copy of this book from Multnomah’s Books for Bloggers program in exchange for an honest review.
