A moving novel entwining the many faces of motherly loveJillian Connors has the perfect daughter: loving and smart, she’s an Olympic hopeful with a bright future. But when Gabby becomes pregnant, Jillian fears that future is lost. Worse, she must confront her own secret past and hope the decisions she’s made don’t drown their whole family.Gabby can’t believe God let this happen to her. She knew … happen to her. She knew the risks, but who thinks about that when they’re in love? Now she has to face the consequences–and the disappointed stares from everyone who thought she was the perfect Christian girl. At least she has the baby’s father, Travis. Nothing can tear them apart, right?
Margaret Owens had determined dreams for her son. She’s furious that Gabby’s pregnancy jeopardizes his college baseball scholarship and terrified that Travis will be trapped in a life of struggle and poverty–the life she’s tried so hard to save him from. She’ll do anything to protect him–even if it means forcing him to leave Gabby.
Stacey Meyers is aching for a child of her own. But the son she was meant to adopt was taken before she could hold him in her arms. It feels like she’ll never stop mourning; even the move to this new town hasn’t distracted her from the pain. How can she and her husband find peace? Is there any hope of a family in their future?
And in the midst of all this . . . an unborn baby. Whose arms will hold him in the end?
more
Wow! What a wonderful, warm, full-circle story of hope! I loved this author’s first novel, IF WE MAKE IT HOME, but this one was even more heartwarming and compelling. Bring a box of tissues, be prepared to fall in love with these characters, and close the book at the end with a happy sigh.
I love a story that rips up my heart and then stitches it back together. Christina Suzann Nelson’s Swimming in the Deep End is a must read!
This is a great book and I highly recommend it! It is sad at parts but that’s what makes it real.
I read this book because I had read her first one, “If We Make It Home”. Her prose was thoughtful and inspirational. I hoped this book would be the same. I was not disappointed. I loved this book! The people were real with real problems. The struggles arising from decisions needing to be made were valid and the answers pulled at the heartstrings. I believe this book should be placed in every church and high school library to help today’s teens, male and female.
Well, this wasn’t exactly a light read. I knew what the book was about when I started it, though. This is one of those stories that tugs at the heart strings with its realism, that doesn’t gloss over the messes that we sometimes make in our lives. There are a number of secrets that people keep in this story, and some of the consequences are quite heavy. Without giving anything away, I would say that this book reinforces my belief that we should be honest with our children about our own upbringing and our own shortcomings. I will also say that I was sad at one of the twists in the story, but it was necessary for the characters to be able to arrive at the ending that they did. Also, there was one big surprise at the end that I didn’t see coming! Don’t worry, this was good surprise.
I feel like this book could serve as a cautionary tale for teens, but adults should be aware that this book deals with serious issues like teen pregnancy, abortion, adoption, and mentions of sexual assault.
I received a copy of this book from Kregel Publications via NetGalley and am under no obligation to provide a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Emotionally gripping, bittersweet, compelling and heartwarming … Swimming in the Deep End is an engrossing read that I highly recommend. In a realistic and thought-provoking way, it shines the light on emotional themes of teen pregnancy, abortion, infertility, and adoption.
I grew up loving women’s fiction and have long been frustrated at the lack of these stories in Christian fiction. With the release of Swimming in the Deep End, Christina Suzann Nelson has joined the ranks of a handful of authors who write quality fiction in this genre – right up there with Cynthia Ruchti and Kellie Coates Gilbert.
The use of four different voices works very well – mothers of soon-to-be-parent teens (Jillian and Margaret), the teenage girl herself (Izzy), and an infertile young woman (Stacey) – and gives insight into all their thoughts and struggles in a personal way. This story plumbs the depths of almost every emotion imaginable and I never wanted to put it down. Guilt, regret, and fear are major themes – emotions that we can all identify with, even though the root cause might be different.
Christina Suzann Nelson is a gifted writer, with a prose that flows effortlessly, complex characters, and multilayered storylines. Jillian, with her guilt-ridden secret from 20 years ago and her craving for control as her comfortable world fell apart, is a character that I wanted to wrap my arms around. Another character that grabbed my heart is Irene, manager of the home for teenage girls in a crisis pregnancy, a home filled with faith and hope.
It was impossible not to shed some tears while reading, many of which were tears of happiness. This story is filled with imperfect Christians, just like us, who learn that God works to fulfill His purpose in every situation. These words, spoken to Jillian by her husband, especially spoke to my heart: “Sometimes, especially in the tough times, we have to come to God even if it’s only in obedience.”
Swimming in the Deep End is a story of the highest quality, a “best of the best” read for me. I hope many more stories flow from the pen of Christina Suzann Nelson. Very highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through JustRead Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Swimming in the Deep End by Christina Suzann Nelson tackles the lives of four women whose struggles impact their lives and the lives of their families, and not always in a positive way. Searching for redemption and grace, each strives to resolve these struggles alone, in their own way. It isn’t until truthfulness, with themselves and others, that healing and grace are finally found.
The teenaged daughter finds herself in quite a predicament after a decision results in serious consequences. A mother struggles with a decision made years before, a decision that impacts every facet of her life. A retiree tangles with her own haunting decisions, decisions that resulted in estrangement. Yet another is the Queen of Snarkiness, covering up her own pain and keeping others at arms length.
When each woman hesitantly reaches out, grace and forgiveness begins soon overflowing in the lives of all four women with the most stunning of miracles.
Emotionally deep, I enjoyed reading Swimming in the Deep End, and have tucked away in my heart how miraculous grace can be, both toward ourselves and others. The story is cross generational and can be enjoyed by a variety of ages. Swimming in the Deep End could be a great book for a small group book club.
I received a complimentary copy of this book via Just Read Tours and the publisher and am under no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions therein are solely my own.