Robert Whitlow's The Choice ~ Reviewed

THE CHOICE

By Robert Whitlow

Published by Thomas Nelson

ISBN# 978-1401685614

432 Pages

Back Cover :

One young woman. Two very different roads. The choice will change everything.

Even as a pregnant, unwed teen in 1974, Sandy Lincoln wanted to do the right thing. But when an ageless woman approached her in a convenience store with a mysterious prophecy and a warning, doing the right thing became even more unclear. She made the best choice she could . . . and has lived with the consequences.

More than thirty years later, a pregnant teen has come into her life, and Sandy’s long-ago decision has come back to haunt her. The stakes rise quickly, leaving Sandy with split seconds to choose once more. But will her choice decision bring life . . . or death?

Review:   

I caught up with Robert Whitlow and his wife last year at the ICRS conference. He was passionate when he spoke of the book he just finished writing, The Choice. The subject matter was near and dear to his heart. Robert had longed to write a book that honored moms for all they sacrificed to be the bringers of life. I think he achieved his goal in The Choice.

There are a couple of things I look forward to when I read a Robert Whitlow book. One, I enjoy the legal aspect. He brings the reader into the courtroom and shows them the evidence and lets them be in the jury box. The other things I enjoy are his characters and how I instantly feel for them and their situation. Roberts’s sharp wit and sensitivity of the subject matter bring a winning combination for a book. This book is broken into three parts.

Part One introduces the reader to Sandy Lincoln whose a cheerleader in trouble, living in Ruthland, GA in 1974. Her boyfriend wants to marry her, but he’s not ready to be a father. It’s Sandy’s senior year and she has some hard decisions to make. “The Supreme Court ruled that an unborn baby has no protection during the first trimester of the pregnancy. They’ve ruled it doesn’t become a person until its old enough to survive outside the mother’s body. That’s illogical,” Sandy yells to her friend., “If all the grocery stores in Atlanta closed, most of the people in the city would starve before they learned how to grow their own food. Does that mean we’re not people because we’re not as self-sufficient as my parents were on the farm?”

Sandy searches her heart and that of God as what decision to make. She knows it won’t be easy whatever the outcome.

Part Two fast forwards to 2008 – California – Dustin, attorney at law who works at the law firm of Jenkins and Lyons, P.C. moves to GA to handle Dexadopamine cases. Dustin and Sandy’s lives collide in an unexpected way. Sandy Lincoln has been an AP English teacher for a while now! She meets Maria and wants to help her adjust to the English culture and language. Sandy soon learns Maria is in trouble, her father is furious and she doesn’t know where to turn or what to do.

Part Three is The Choice. How far will Sandy go to help Maria decide what is best for her and the baby? What will Maria do? Will Sandy stay committed to be an advocate for Maria when her job is threatened? How far is too far for a school and/or a teacher, guidance counselor to go in getting involved with a student and their life’s choices? Do they have the students’ best interest at heart or do they have their own agenda at stake?

Sandy’s attorney says to her in preparation for the road ahead, “this case goes way beyond a fight over who gets to talk to Maria, when a women’s group like this gets involved in litigation, it’s often because the leaders of the group want to obtain a legal precedent that can be used to advance their goals in other situations, locally, and nationally.”

Sandy was in over her head, this was quickly getting complicated, and she needed God to intercede. Maria was confused, hurt and didn’t speak or understand the English language well. Could Sandy help Maria make the right Choice given all her options?

This was definitely an eye opener for me on how special interest groups can and do take advantage of people and their situations to advance their cause. There’s a tender love story written into the mix and some surprises along the way I liked. I really enjoyed this book and I’m thankful for the review copy!

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent

The Book Club Network CEO

TBCN Where Book Fun Begins