Chris Coppernoll's A Beautiful Fall ~ Reviewed

A Beautiful Fall
By Chris Coppernoll
Published by David C. Cook ISBN#978-1-4347-6852-0
Pages 177

Back Cover:

High-powered Boston attorney Emma Madison is celebrating her latest courtroom victory when she gets a call from a number she doesn't recognize. Area code 803 home. Juneberry, South Carolina eight hundred miles, twelve years, and a lifetime away from Boston. Emma's father has had a serious heart attack. Emma rushes to his bedside, and a weekend trip threatens to become an extended stay. She has to work fast to arrange the affairs of his small-town law practice so she can return to her life and career in Boston.

And then Michael Evans shows up.

They'd shared hopes, dreams, and a passionate love as young college students during a long-ago summer. But Emma walked away from Michael and from Juneberry to finish college and start a new life. Michael has never forgotten her. Enveloped in the warmth of family and small-town life and discovering that she still cares for Michael, Emma knows she'll have to make a choice between the career she's worked so hard to build and the love she left behind.

Review:

Thirty four year old Emma Madison has done quite well for herself in a prestigious law firm in Boston. Life is happening at lightning speed until Emma gets a call. Her father has just had a heart attack. Regrets filled her heart as she race to the hospital. Had it really been 12 years since she was home last? It hardly seemed possible. Emma was doing her job, taking care of business all these years which left little time for anything else in her life – even time to think.

She arrives at the airport and is welcomed by friends with open arms. Each of her friends treat her with a warmth that wasn't expected after all this time. Samantha (a full time mom), Christina (a full time writer) and Michael (a very special someone), are all proud that she had made her dreams come true. They treat her like they talked every day for the last 12 years. It surprised her. They all have a deep love that satisfies them. It has her wondering what is different. She later finds out that each of her friends were following Jesus in a very special way. It was very different that just playing church.

Emma realizes as she fights with her law firm partner, Robert Adler, on the phone something has definitely been missing in her life. Emma thought she was content. But being home made her start to realize she didn't have it all. Emma begins to see how much she has missed out on; that money isn't everything. It definitely can't buy happiness or a relationship with her father. Robert is demanding that she come back and handle this very important deal for the firm. She owes it to them. Emma puts him off as she spends time with her father. Robert isn't use to hearing the word "No" and keeps putting the pressure on her to return in a day or two. That should be plenty of time to square things away with family, according to Robert.

Emma feels caught between two worlds and isn't doing well in either one. Emma reunites with her friends. Emotions she didn't realize she had start to stir. She starts to want what they have. She begins to smell the flowers and really see them clearly for the first time in a long time. Emma struggles with the fact that she has made work a priority in her life. That choice has cost her dearly. She can't get back yesterday but maybe she can have tomorrow. Can she really live in a small town again? So many choices to be made so little time...

Chris Coppernoll captures the essence of small town life and the sweet relationship with really special friends. Chris is a romantic at heart and sees the best in everything. I really loved that about this story. In Chris' first book "Providence", he wrote from the male point of view; in this story he mainly wrote from a woman's point of view. His female dialogue rang true and his attention to detail amazed me. Chris' second book shows how versatile he is. I can't wait to see what he does in his third book. After reading this story you'll be waiting too.

Reviewed by: Nora St. Laurent