Giveaway! This Side of Heaven by Karen Kingsbury

Annie Warren always wanted the best for her son, Josh. But years of failure and bad choices created a heartbreaking distance that has grown far worse since the day Josh was hit by a drunk driver. Now on medical disability, Josh has put his life on hold for years, waiting for the insurance company to send a settlement that never seems to come. Worse, he believes the story of a scheming woman who claims they have a seven-year-old daughter named Savannah.

Despite the unlikelihood and complete lack of evidence, Josh dreams of being a father and is determined to one day claim the child. His family doesn't know the full story. They don't know what happened the night of the accident that was worth the chronic pain Josh suffers every waking minute, or that he is turning his life around. They haven't seen that Savannah's eyes are his, and they don't know how desperately the little girl needs her family.

When the settlement that rightly belongs to Josh is threatened, Annie sets out to defend her son. But she might find a treasure more valuable than money, one she never expected, one that is the greatest gift her son could ever give her.

My Review:
Characters are important in a novel. They must be credible. I was pleased to see Carl Joseph and Daisy Gunner, a Down Syndrome couple, living next door to the protagonist, Josh Warren. I remember them from earlier books in the Cody Gunner Series. Karen Kingsbury is at her best when writing characters--particularly children. The children in her books think and speak in an authentic manner. For instance, a cotton ball at the doctor's office is thought of as "a wet little ball of white fur." In this novel a little girl, Savannah is introduced. She seems believable, and I can't help but wonder if I'll meet her again in a future work.

The description of chronic pain is well written.

I found the plot credible; the author's notes at the end surprised me. I can't tell you more than this without ruining the story. Running through this Christian Fiction book is the theme of loving in an unconditional style, rather than in a judgmental manner. Too often, we let a moment to love pass, and it's gone forever. I connected to the deep desire of one character's wish for ten minutes more of life in order to be able to hug a departed loved one.

There are discussion questions at the end of the novel, which makes for a good talk at any book club meeting. Her sentence fragments drive me nuts, but Karen Kingsbury fans will ❤ this one!

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The generous folks at Hachette Book Group are allowing me to host this book giveaway for five (5) copies!

• Winners are restricted to the US and Canada. No PO Box mailing addresses, please.
• I must have a way of contacting you, so be sure to leave your email address in code in your comment
  
• I'll close the comments at 6 PM EST February 21st and pick the five winners. I will contact the winners via email to get their mailing information. The winners will have three days to respond. If I do not hear from them within three days, I will select another winner(s). If you're interested, just say so in a comment with that all-important email address in code.
  Example of email in code: you[at]yourmail[dot]com
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  If you'd like to buy a copy, click here.