Threads of Hope by Christa Allan

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Threads of Hope
(Abingdon Press - March 1, 2013)
by
Christa Allan
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A true Southern woman who knows that any cook worth her gumbo always starts with a roux and who never wears white after Labor Day, Christa is a writer of not your usual Christian Fiction. She weaves stories of unscripted grace and redemption with threads of hope, humor, and heart. Christa is the mother of five adult children, a grandmother of three, and a brand new retired teacher. She and her husband Ken live in New Orleans with their three cats and do their best to dodge hurricanes.

And, since she is not fond of writing about herself in third person, she asked her oldest daughter to contribute. Like her mother, Erin is not at a loss for words…


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Passed over for promotion and dumped by her boyfriend, Nina O’Malley is further frustrated when her editor assigns her one of the “soft” stories she despises—covering a gala benefit supporting the AIDS Memorial Quilt. More determined than ever to prove she deserves a promotion to the NY office, Nina decides to write a series featuring a local quilting group raising money for AIDs research. At the event, she runs into her high school nemesis: Greg is a widower and the adoptive father of Jazarah, an HIV positive girl from Ethiopia. Unlike Nina, Greg has faith in a loving God, and he trusts in God’s plan for his life. Greg and Nina grow closer, and as Nina interviews the quilt families, she begins to question the choices she has made and her lack of faith. Nina suddenly finds herself facing two possible dreams, two paths for her life.

MY THOUGHTS:

I really enjoyed this book that touches on such a heart-wrenching subject...losing a loved one to HIV/AIDS.

This story demonstrates that past hurts can be patched by the power of love as Nina and Greg have a somewhat painful backstory. I will have to say that their confrontation at the benefit just about broke my heart, especially for Greg's sake. I'm not sure I could carry a grudge as long as Nina did.

As Nina researches the AIDS Memorial Quilt and tells the stories of the families memorializing their loved ones as a catharsis for their grief, she comes to a greater understanding of what these families go through, especially after meeting Greg's AIDS afflicted daughter, Jazarah. Jazarah is a strand of bright-colored stitching that really pops out of this story...she is hard not to fall in love with.

Characters I loved: Aretha and Paloma - I think each of them would make for great characters in stories of their own. Character that annoyed me to no end: BRADY! He just about drove me crazy!

The only thing that kind of didn't feel right is the ping-pong effect of the last chapter. I had to re-read a few parts to really get the gist of what was going on. But I did like how it turned out.

I think it was a really great touch that Christa Allan completes this book with instructions on how to make a quilt panel for The AIDS Memorial Quilt. I'm sure many people will be inspired through this book to make a panel in memory of someone they love.

My thanks to CFBA and Abingdon Press for generously providing a copy for review.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Threads of Hope, go HERE.