Divine: A Novel (A Clean, Contemporary Christian Fiction Story of Life, Loss, Love, Faith, and the Miracle of Resurrection)

God is so faithful if you believe
What a beautiful story of heartbreak and how God can deliver you from that!! He is good like that if you let Him!

Tough Subject Matter
***SPOILERS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW.******Please note, that I am a Christian with a deep faith, this review is not aimed to convert anyone, however I do discuss my strong belief in God and Jesus in it. I respect everyone’s right to choose and believe what they choose.***ISSUES:My first issue is with the description. When I initially picked up this book I did read the description. I think for the sake of subject matter, the description should have provided a little more forewarning. I have the Kindle version, so I have not read the back of the book, but when I read “horrors as a child”, I in no way expected to read about a 10 year old being a sex slave. I have never been abused, so I don’t know how someone who has been would feel reading about it, but I would think they would want some reasonable warning about what they are getting in to. It was very hard for me to read what happened to this little girl.My second issue is the way the resulting story was handled. Some things in this book didn’t jive for me. What grandmother is going to stand by and not do anything when she sees such blatant abuse and neglect? If my granddaughter showed up at my home at 10 unable to read with a junkie mom, I would have made a bee line for the nearest CYS or police station with or without an appointment or said mother’s consent. To me the grandmother did nothing in an age when there are places and people willing to help. It was also completely unbelievable to me that the police told this woman it couldn’t have been her granddaughter because the names did not match. I don’t know what police procedure and CYS policy is, but if you have a woman saying she thought it was her granddaughter, only to discount her because the names didn’t match seemed really out there for me.Issue three is I liked the character of Nigel. I loved that he was trying to help those who needed it and teach the word of God to those who may never have heard it before, but to completely reject romantic love seems to go against why God put men and women on this earth in the first place. What, you can’t do God’s work and preach God’s love if you are married with a family? I would think that seeing the awful things that can and do happen, a person would need a safe haven to go home to. Just my opinion.There is more, but those are the biggies.LIKES:I like the hope the book does inspire. Why can’t a woman bring herself up from one of the most awful situations a person can survive to get a PHD and become an activist on Capitol Hill aiming to help those who need it? Who would know better what horrors an abuse victim can survive than another abuse victim? Again, though I have never dealt with abuse, and I don’t know to what extent said victims would be willing to help.I found it personally comforting to actually read in a book about Jesus’ hugs. As a person who has battled with Depression and Anxiety all my life, I have experienced the fervent desire to just have Jesus hold me in his arms and give me a hug of comfort at my most trying times.This was one of the fastest reads I have ever had. I seriously read this book in about 10 hours. I couldn’t put it down only because I was riveted to find out what happened next. Even though the subject matter was disturbing; I was like a woman possessed. My housework went to the way side, my husband cooked dinner and bath time went late because I just could not quit turning the page.This book made me want to go out to my local woman’s shelter (in rural PA, I am not even sure we have one, tbh) and offer my time, love and help. This book really brought to light for me just how much those who are in Social Services give. I give kudos to those men and women who do it for a living. You have a strength I am not sure I possess, especially doing it day in and day out. I hugged my daughter immediately and thanked God (still do actually) that she is safe.Again, there were other things I liked, however these were the main points.SUMMARY:All in all I liked the book. It was heartbreaking, I cried pretty much all the way through. I didn’t want to read it because of the subject matter, but I couldn’t seem to stop. This book is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but what book ever is? Overall, I felt it was well written, I didn’t notice many grammar/formatting issues, and although the subject matter was just about the most horrendous thing a person can live through, these things do go on in the world today. This story will probably stay with me for a long time.Thanks for reading my review.

Beautiful story!
This book captivated me right from the start! Some parts were really difficult to read. This woman faced a lot of tragedies in her life! I am truly grateful for God’s saving grace! Beautiful ending! 💟

Excellent Read with a Life-changing Message
Mary Madison (a modern-day parallel to Mary Magdalene) runs a Washington, D.C. shelter for those who have suffered domestic abuse. She counsels and aids the women who come into her life through a combination of education as well as personal experience. When a 23-year-old woman named Emma comes to her shelter on the brink of committing suicide, Mary asks her if she would like to hear the story of her past. Much of the novel is then told through Mary’s account of her unthinkable past (a prostitute mother, being abducted and sexually abused, drug addiction, prostitution) as well as how she meets a Christian man who introduces her to Jesus and starts her on a path where God is able to take her heart-wrenching past and present, and bring something wonderful from it. Intermixed with Mary’s flashbacks is her impact on Emma’s life as well as two current heartaches which affect her profoundly and threaten to shake her faith.I truly enjoyed Divine, although much of its subject matter was difficult to read. Karen Kingsbury did a great job of giving the reader a glimpse into the mindset of someone who’s lived through this type of abuse and why it tends to result in a cycle of harmful decisions. She also crafted an interesting and believable story that details both how God can use all of us despite our pasts and the decisions we’ve made, and how He can take even the most horrid situations and bring healing and hope to others through them. These are life-changing truths and critical beliefs in the Christian walk.Definitely worth a read. In fact, I highly recommend it–both for those who’ve been victims of abuse and those who haven’t. God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called–and He calls all of us in one way or another. He doesn’t care about our past; He wants our present and our future, and if we give them to Him, He’ll work in ways we never imagined. For those whose lives are caught up in guilt over their past or present, this could be a catalyst toward joy, peace, and purpose.

A tremendously thought provoking book. I thought I would find it hard to read at first as I don’t like books about suffering. But it was so beautifully written with Christ as the answer to the every need of the characters. I will definitely be recommending this book.

Karen Kingsbury is one of my favorite authors. This book is a great read…once you start it you can’t put it down.The book is well written and holds your attention. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading a good well written novel.