Select one of the keywords
Violette Between    by Alison Strobel Amazon.com order for
Violette Between
by Alison Strobel
Order:  USA  Can
WaterBrook Press, 2006 (2006)
Paperback
* *   Reviewed by Melissa Parcel

Violette Corterm is an artist who is doing her best to open up to her new boyfriend, Christian. Both Violette and Christian are widowed, but Christian has been alone for many years, while she is not as far removed from her grief. While up on a ladder painting a mural, Violette falls and goes into a deep coma. During her unconsciousness, she relives her relationship and marriage with her husband Saul. At the same time, Christian thinks back over the development of his friendship and love with Violette. Will Violette remain stuck in the past, or will she recover and move toward the future?

Violette Between is a quiet novel filled with places for introspection. For readers who have lost someone close to them - a spouse, a child, or a parent - the obvious question comes up: would I give up the present and the future to relive moments and possibly join that person? Even if we can't consciously make that decision, would it be tempting?

One thing I would have liked added to the novel would have been Violette's perspective on her relationship with Christian. It would have helped in understanding some of her actions. Violette's character frustrated me because I couldn't really relate to her free-flowing artist personality. The spiritual portion of Violette Between is important to the overall story and makes a big impact on the message. The theme of letting go, trusting in God's timing and the fact the He has plans for our lives resonates with the reader. While quite different from her first book, Worlds Collide, Alison Strobel's sophomore effort is an interesting and thoughtful tale.

Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons.

Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews