Mountains And Valleys
The Bread Of Angels by Amber Albee Swenson is a powerful contemporary story about the highs and lows of life, and the faithfulness of God.
Life can be going well when all of a sudden it is derailed – what do we do then? “We’re all struggling with something.” People do not always show their true selves, they plaster on a smile and carry on. God wants us to be ‘real.’ We all need friends who can support us through all the seasons of life. “We all bear a cross… it would be so much harder if we didn’t have others to help us bear them.”
The novel shows how everyone has the potential to fall from grace. “We all make mistakes but God meets us with His grace.” God’s grace covers us all. There is no sin so bad that God’s grace cannot cover it.
Stress affects us all. We all deal with it differently. The novel explores some of our ways of coping – from isolation to alcohol to cigarettes to shopping – we all have vices that we fall back on in times of stress, when we really should turn to God.
God’s plans are greater than our plans. In the difficult times, we tend to forget this. “Pain is a liar. It doesn’t let you see things clearly.” In our pain we may listen to the wrong voices and tune God out. We need to listen to Him.
There are all sorts of different families in the novel. Families are important. “No one wins when families are broken.” We need to pull together.
The novel has the theme of appearances. “We look good while our marriage falls apart.” We need not to just look good on the surface, we need to be good underneath too.
There are the difficult themes of trafficking, murder, attempted suicide, adultery, to name but a few. These things exist in our world and we must not be afraid to address them.
The Bread Of Angels is a gritty realistic read that informs, educates and does not shy away from life’s issues. Not always an easy read but a marvellous one that has introduced me to a new author.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
JULIA WILSON