I am currently re-reading The Big Love by Sarah Dunn. It's a wonderful book and yes, it's chick-lit in the true sense of the term. It is about a woman who is going through a break-up and dating and looking for love and trying to become comfortable with who she is and so on and so forth. And yet while all those are familiar themes Dunn executes them so well. The book isn't really frothy, although it has lots of laugh-out-loud moments. The protagonist, Allison, is neurotic but so relatable and you feel for her in all her trials and tribulations. And then there's Allison's attachment to her past. She was raised as an Evangelical Christian and left the church as an adult. This has left her with all sorts of issues. Her view on sex is colored by her training in the church and she misses the security and the clarity the church once offered her. Growing up her religion had made decisions easier for her. There were no gray areas, just you're-supposed-to-do-this-and-not-that-so-don't-question-it kind of thing. But now that she has to look within herself to figure out what she should and should not do it's all a lot more complicated. Watching her sort through this is both moving and enthralling.
I think what I appreciate most about this book is that Allison isn't angry. This isn't a book designed to condemn the Evangelical Church. Allison sees why the church is so precious for some people and why it has value. She knows that it doesn't offer her the answers she needs anymore but she at no point skewers it or holds it up for ridicule. Her critique of her own upbringing is thoughtful and nuanced.
It honestly is a wonderful read and I strongly recommend it. As always I encourage you to list your own book suggestions in the comments section. I am continually looking for yet another good book to read.
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1 comment:
I've been meaning to read this for a while, actually! I read "Secrets to Happiness" and really enjoyed it (and it's my favorite book cover EVER!). Thanks for the review!
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