Carolyn Zane's Beyond the Storm ~ Reviewed

Beyond the Storm: Quilts of Love Series [Paperback]
Carolyn Zane 
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press (October 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1426745974


Description:

After a tornado rips through her town, store owner Abigail comes across a piece of fabric from a wedding dress among the devastation. Abigail is moved to start collecting other swatches of fabric she finds – her neighbor’s kitchen curtains, a man’s necktie, a dog’s bed – which she stashes in shopping bags. As she pursues her seemingly absurd quest, horrible realities spark the question, “What kind of a God would allow such tragedy?”

As she struggles to reconcile her right to happiness amidst the destruction, Abigail begins piecing together a patchwork quilt from the salvaged fabric in hopes it will bring some peace. But a new relationship with Justin, a contractor, may require too much of her fragile heart.  Will her pain and questions of faith give way to the courage to love? 

Review:

Beyond the Storm revolves around a young woman named Abigail.  She owns a beauty shop in the little town of Rawston.  She is very materialistic and hasn’t grasped what’s really important in life.  However, her outlook changes when a devastating tornado destroys the town.  As the town begins to draw together to lift each other up, Abigail also develops a closeness with a young contractor named Justin.  Through the love and support of the town as well as family and friends, Abigail begins to see what’s really important in life, and that the Lord has been nearby all along.
               
I really enjoyed this story.  There were also a lot of sub plots involving other characters, and I enjoyed seeing how those characters grew and changed as well.  It shows how much God can use a tragedy to draw people closer to Him.  Abigail’s character went through quite a change, but it was great to watch it develop.  One would hope that if a tragedy such as this swept through a town or city, that the people would come together like they did in this story, and that many would be brought to Christ through it.
 
Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers