“There,” says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about . . . angels.
Heather survived a childhood that culminated in her own parents’ murder-suicide, so she identifies deeply with Aliceโs daughter, Katie, offering herself as a mentor to the girl and a shoulder for Stephen โ who flees the pulpit to be with Heather and see if there is anything to be salvaged from the spiritual wreckage around him.
But then the State’s Attorney begins to suspect that Alice’s husband may not have killed himself. . .and finds out that Alice had secrets only her minister knew.
My Review: 3 stars
Although the story is captivating, I guessed the ending early on, which of course is disappointing in a mystery. I enjoy a story told with several voices yet one of the voices was too long with too much extraneous detail that I felt wasn’t relevant. I love the supernatural so the angel aspect was highly enjoyed. The main character Stephen was my favorite and I wish I knew more about Alice so I can understand why she continued in an abusive relationship. This author has a good handle on abusive behavior and family dynamics.
Quotes I liked:
We may talk a good game and write even better ones, but we never outgrow those small wounded things we were when we were five and six and seven.โ
– โI have lived with magic and without magic, and I can tell you with certainty that a life with magic is better….โ
– โFood is a gift and should be treated reverentially–romanced and ritualized and seasoned with memory.โ
– โWith age comes acumen. With experience comes insight.โ
Review:The Measure by Nikki Erlick was a book I waited far too long to read. I just couldnโt stomach the idea that everyone in the world would find out their relative life span. The whole idea of this scared me but when my book club chose to read it, I dug in with enthusiasm.Iโm so glad I did. This book is more about life and how we live it, rather than about dying. Itโs told by a cast of eight characters who are deeply affected by the strings they received. The length of the string parallels the length of your life. All the characters are struggling with their results because even if he or she gets a long string, there will still be people they know will be gone soon.How the world at large handles the strings was so well done. People are switching boxes hoping it could change their destiny. Support groups are offered. Protests occur. The world is in a very different place. Much of this book made me think about the differences between fate and destiny. This story offers many intertwined connections between the characters that makes for a powerful and meaningful ending. Iโm so looking forward to whatโs next from this author. @nikkierlick @williammorrowbooks William Morrow ๐ Would you open a box that told you how long your lifespan is?#themeasure #scifilight#bookreader #bookclubpick #goodbookfairy... See MoreSee Less