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$13.99

 

 

The Renovation
By Terri Kraus
Review by Shari Van Baale

 

 

 

 

I selected this book for review initially because of the intriguing title. I very much admire old houses and the process of rebuilding and restoring them. My dad was a carpenter, and I will always remember helping him hold boards to cut, the smell of freshly cut wood, frequent trips to the lumber yard and going with him to help others with their building projects.

The author has a very good grasp of the English language, and in reading the book, I was happy to learn the meaning of some words that I had never heard before, such as 'pellucid', which means 'very clear'. I love new words! At the beginning of each new chapter, the author used a couple of quotes relating to forgiveness, which is the main theme of the story.

A couple of my favorite quotes from the book are: 'When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." (Alexander Graham Bell) "To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." (Philip Yancey)

This story is not so unlike a similar story running through each one of our lives, though perhaps in a different setting. We all have things in our past that we would like to forget, as well as things (and people) that we are determined not to forgive. We cannot go forward with any measure of peace and growth until we face the truth head on, however prickly and painful that may be, and deal with it. Then we can find out who it is that God intended for us each to be and proceed in that direction in His grace.

This is the theme of the story, and it is eloquently and compassionately written. I can relate to the characters because I possess similar traits as they do, and have tackled some serious forgiveness issues in my life as well. I think that people from all walks of life could read this book and glean some valuable insights into the importance and freedom of forgiveness. We all need forgiveness, and we all need to be forgiven.

Although Terri Kraus has co-authored nine other books with her husband Jim Kraus, this is her first solo attempt, and it is incredibly well thought out and written. This is titled as 'A Project Restoration Novel', so I hope this means that this is a new series with more books in the works. Take the time - read this book - I guarantee it is well worth your investment. There is hope of freedom in forgiveness here for all of us!

Publisher: David C. Cook Publishing
Publication Date: March 2008
ISBN: 9780781448468
Price: $13.99
Genre: Inspirational Romance

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