Jacob's List

Stephanie Grace Whitson has set a new paradigm for Christian authors with Jacob's List. I don't want to give any of this hard-hitting story away, so this review will be short. But Whitson has delivered a portrayal of emotions so realistic in characters so life-like, I experienced them with Pam and Michael. But what stayed with me the most was the conversion scene. It was one of the most natural conversions I've read. No manipulation, no voices in the sky, no renewed instant joy, no dramatic anything. Just an honest choice brought about by the circumstances. How life-like. How believable. And something a non-Christian could perhaps relate to? This is one book I will give to a friend who is grieving a lost marriage. It's a book of hope. And forgiveness. A book this reviewer gives her highest recommendation. By the way, you'll love Rambo. Now if I could only get my dog to do the things he does. Reviewed by Ane Mulligan www.anemulligan.com

Jacob's List is a novel about a couple recovering from the greatest of losses, but it is about so much more. It's about renewal and hope, and rebuilding the very foundations of one's life. Anyone who has ever faced any kind of loss--and who hasn't?--should read this book. It can offer a new way of looking at the trials in our lives. An excellent novel by an excellent author.

I could not put this book down. The author weaved the two families brought together, because of Jacob's list, so masterfully, that I just couldn't stop reading. I cried with them, I laughed with them, I felt their pain and triumph. This is one of the most heartwarming, gut wrenching stories I have ever read and I read alot. I am definately a Stephanie Grace Whitson fan from now on and I look forward to any future books she writes.

Pam and Michael have just received the worst news that no parent ever wants to hear. Their only child has been killed. The estranged couple now must deal with coping with their son's death, and their feelings toward the man who killed him. Their relationship together also requires a second outlook. Everything in their lives must be reexamined from past battles with cancer, to affairs, to matters of faith, to dealing with Jacob's "second family." Then there is the matter of Jacob's list- the things he wanted to do before he died and how they will now accomplish these tasks for him. This was a really thought provoking and sad book. It shows all the parties that are affected by an accidental death, from the parents to the man who caused the accident, to his wife, to the officer who found the accident, to his family, to even the grave keepers. The characters really stay with you after reading. You feel their struggles and their anger and pain. But amid all the sadness there are several moments of laughter in this book with the Novac family. I liked the meatloaf talk and the Ninja night. That was really awesome reading about how that family helped out those in need. I also really liked Rambo! From his description, I kept imagining a small cute little poodle, but then looking on the author's website it appears that Rambo is one of the big tall poodles! So that completely changed my image of him! But I love at how obedient he is and how he listens to Pam and Mike and even suffered when Jacob died. I was thinking though, from the cover and the summary on the back, that Jacob's parents were going to take over his list and do everything that he couldn't. So it confused me when I was getting near the end of the book and they still hadn't fully made up yet. Interestingly I don't recall reading anywhere in the book where they go backpacking together. However, the purpose of the story is written extremely well. If you or anyone you know has suffered the loss of a child, this book is perfect and helps to understand that you are not only in your grieving. Beautifully written and highly recommended.

Twenty years old Jacob "Jake" Nolan has drawn up a personal list of ten items he wants to do before he settles down. However, when he dies in an accident, his wealthy parents Pamela and Michael are shattered as they doted on him and he was the prime reason they remained together. Both grieve differently and separately even when they go on a Hawaiian vacation. Still they have Jake's list and Pamela and Michael would like to complete his quest. Friends try to be there for them and they attend a workshop "How to Help a Grieving Friend" (actually al self-help book written by Ms. Whitson) together. However, as their marriage appears to be on the brink of imploding both knows bad things happen to good people is part of the mystery of God's master plan. This is an interesting look at grief from the perspective of two parents who cannot turn to one another for solace when a bad thing happens to a loved one. The three prime characters come across as fully developed although Jake is actually seen through the eyes of his parents so the audience extrapolates what the grieving pair hold in common about their son as the most likely truth. Stephanie Grace Whitson provides a well written primer on HOW TO HELP A GRIEVING FRIEND cope through the barely surviving Nolans. Harriet Klausner