CFBA - A Beautiful Fall

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing
A Beautiful Fall by Chris Coppernoll - David C. Cook (October 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chris Coppernoll is the founder of Soul2Soul Ministries, with his interviews with Christian artists airing weekly on 650 radio outlets in thirty countries. He has conducted hundreds of interviews on faith issues with personalities such as Amy Grant, Max Lucado, Michael W. Smith, and Kathie Lee Gifford. He also serves as a Deacon at The People’s Church in Franklin, Tennessee, and is currently working toward a Masters in Ministry Leadership degree through Rockbridge Seminary.

His "Inspirations" column is published monthly in the mid Michigan newspaper, The Jackson Citizen Patriot.

Chris Coppernoll is the author of four other books including Soul2Soul, Secrets of a Faith Well Lived, and God's Calling. Providence, his first novel, is his fourth book.


ABOUT THE BOOK

High-powered Boston attorney Emma Madison is celebrating her latest courtroom victory when she gets a call from a number she doesn't recognize. Area code 803 home. Juneberry, South Carolina eight hundred miles, twelve years, and a lifetime away from Boston. Emma's father has had a serious heart attack. Emma rushes to his bedside, and a weekend trip threatens to become an extended stay. She has to work fast to arrange the affairs of his small-town law practice so she can return to her life and career in Boston.

And then Michael Evans shows up. They'd shared hopes, dreams, and a passionate love as young college students during a long-ago summer. But Emma walked away from Michael and from Juneberry to finish college and start a new life. Michael has never forgotten her.

Enveloped in the warmth of family and small-town life and discovering that she still cares for Michael Emma knows she'll have to make a choice between the career she's worked so hard to build and the love she left behind.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Beautiful Fall, go HERE

MY REVIEW

I first started reading this book totally expecting a story along the lines of the movie "Sweet Home Alabama" - high powered lawyer goes home to her small town. And while parts of it might bear resemblance, this book is so much more.

After a twelve year absence to pursue her career in law, Emma is called home to care for her father. In addition to realizing how much she has missed her father, Emma reunites with her two friends almost like she hadn't been away. Then there's Michael, the love of her youth and now such a mainstay in the small town of Juneberry.

As her stay at home continues, Emma learns much about the pace of life and choices along the way. Juneberry (takeoff of Mayberry perhaps???) is a town where everybody knows and loves everybody else. Friendships are forever. And faith is the most important thing of all.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I'll be looking for his first novel, Providence, after having read this one. He is able to give his characters depth, keep us up with three couples at once and his understanding of how women think surprised me several times. In fact, I will admit to checking the back cover again to verify that Chris was indeed male! :) I look forward to more of his books.