ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Single mother and foster parent, Christina Berry carves time to write from her busy schedule because she must tell the stories that haunt her every waking moment. (Such is the overly dramatic description of an author's life!) She holds a BA in Literature, yet loves a good Calculus problem, as well. All that confusion must have influenced her decision to be team captain of a winning team on Family Feud.
Her debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, released from Moody in September and deals with lies, secrets, and themes of forgiveness in a troubled marriage. A moving speaker and dynamic teacher, Christina strives to Live Transparently--Forgive Extravagantly!
Her work has also appeared in The Secret Place, The Oregonian, and Daily Devotions for Writers.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Craig Littleton's decision to end his marriage would shock his wife, Denise . . . if she knew what he was up to. When an accident lands Craig in the ICU, with fuzzy memories of his own life and plans, Denise rushes to his side, ready to care for him.
They embark on a quest to help Craig remember who he is and, in the process, they discover dark secrets. An affair? An emptied bank account? A hidden identity? An illegitimate child?
But what will she do when she realizes he's not the man she thought he was? Is this trauma a blessing in disguise, a chance for a fresh start? Or will his secrets destroy the life they built together?
If you would like to read the first chapter of The Familiar Stranger, go HERE
My very brief thoughts:
I'm in the middle of this book right now, and I have to say that I am totally impressed!!! I love the way the story's point of view goes back and forth between the husband and wife....just gives it a little something extra that is not the norm. Unfortunately, since one of my family members recently told me she was getting married on Christmas Eve, my reading time has been almost nil because of planning everything with her for her wedding (3 weeks is not a lot of time to work with). I'll be doing good to get this finished by New Years, but hopefully, it won't take that long. :o)
UPDATE (12/16/09)
Well, I can still say without a doubt that this was an incredible book. However, I must confess that I completely did not like the ending. I felt it was completely far-fetched, not believable, and almost downright bizarre. There's not a whole lot of detail I can provide on it without completely giving away the whole story, except to say when the husband got his memory back was when things started to go downhill, in my opinion.
On the flipside, I am very eager to read another book by this new author. I loved how she told this story from both points of view, and occasionally, repeated a few scenes so I could see how each person was affected by the others actions.....very insighful. I think I would recommend this first novel of Ms. Barry's to anyone that loves a good women's fiction novel with a little bit of suspense thrown in.
4 Stars
This is an awesome book! It made my top 10 for the whole year. I'm ashamed to admit that I almost didn't want to read it. I thought it was going to be totally depressing and I don't like reading that. The Christina blew my socks off. She knows how to weave a tale. Just when you think you know... bam! Something else happens. The characters are so real. I know you will really like the book. Have fun. :o)
ReplyDeleteHey there! I have this book but haven't gotten to it yet but I'm glad that it's getting tons of positive reviews...I'll probably like it then!
ReplyDeleteI have an award for you Christy!
http://steelergirl83.blogspot.com/2009/12/blog-awards.html
xoxo~ Renee