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A review by fiction_aficionado
Louisa by Beth Troy
4.0
Why had I thought my new belief would go in front of me like a public service announcement, excusing me from having to explain anything?
This is one of those stories I’ve been both dreading and greatly anticipating, and it’s all because of where the previous book in the series left off. I’m going to try to avoid spoilers for the sake of those who haven’t read Lu. yet, so let’s just say that Lu’s path to salvation was a little convoluted and has left at least one bridge burned behind her—perhaps beyond repair. Hence both my anticipation and my dread! But this is exactly the kind of tension I love in my fiction, and it’s just one of the things that has made this particular duology so engaging. Beth Troy doesn’t shy away from the everyday messiness of Christians and non-Christians alike navigating this adventure we call life.
As a life-long Christian myself, I was surprised how easily I related to Lu’s journey, both in the previous novel and this one, and that says volumes about the way in which Beth Troy draws readers not just into her characters’ world but into the very essence of who they are as people. Dialogue can be a make-it-or-break-it element of a novel for me, and it’s an absolute winner here with down-to-earth characters interacting in lively and engaging ways all the way from Lu’s affectionately annoying brother Ted to her fastidious and opinionated Nana.
And oh, how I love Jackson—for so many reasons, but first and foremost because he’s so real. Having said that, I wasn’t convinced we needed his point of view in the novel to begin with, but I’m really glad to have been proven wrong. His struggle was important to see and showed a different side of the same question Louisa wrestles with: when is God asking us to let go, and when are we supposed to hold on and fight? And as with the first novel in the series, I was challenged to think about how easy it is to judge people by their pasts without truly seeing where they are now and who they’re trying to become. In fact, how often—consciously or subconsciously—we make our own decisions based on our past mistakes rather than who we are becoming in Christ.
I really hope we’ll be getting more from this author in the future, especially with hints that Roddy and Virginia have a story of their own to tell!
I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
This is one of those stories I’ve been both dreading and greatly anticipating, and it’s all because of where the previous book in the series left off. I’m going to try to avoid spoilers for the sake of those who haven’t read Lu. yet, so let’s just say that Lu’s path to salvation was a little convoluted and has left at least one bridge burned behind her—perhaps beyond repair. Hence both my anticipation and my dread! But this is exactly the kind of tension I love in my fiction, and it’s just one of the things that has made this particular duology so engaging. Beth Troy doesn’t shy away from the everyday messiness of Christians and non-Christians alike navigating this adventure we call life.
As a life-long Christian myself, I was surprised how easily I related to Lu’s journey, both in the previous novel and this one, and that says volumes about the way in which Beth Troy draws readers not just into her characters’ world but into the very essence of who they are as people. Dialogue can be a make-it-or-break-it element of a novel for me, and it’s an absolute winner here with down-to-earth characters interacting in lively and engaging ways all the way from Lu’s affectionately annoying brother Ted to her fastidious and opinionated Nana.
And oh, how I love Jackson—for so many reasons, but first and foremost because he’s so real. Having said that, I wasn’t convinced we needed his point of view in the novel to begin with, but I’m really glad to have been proven wrong. His struggle was important to see and showed a different side of the same question Louisa wrestles with: when is God asking us to let go, and when are we supposed to hold on and fight? And as with the first novel in the series, I was challenged to think about how easy it is to judge people by their pasts without truly seeing where they are now and who they’re trying to become. In fact, how often—consciously or subconsciously—we make our own decisions based on our past mistakes rather than who we are becoming in Christ.
I really hope we’ll be getting more from this author in the future, especially with hints that Roddy and Virginia have a story of their own to tell!
I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.