Searching for Eternity

There are some books that you read and enjoy, there are others you read and are relaxed, and then there are the books that become part of your life. When I finished "Searching for Eternity" by Elizabeth Musser I felt like I lost a friend. French born Emile de Bonnery is dragged to America by his Mother. His French Father has suddenly disappeared, and Emile finds himself in Atlanta trying to adjust to cultural shock. The only welcome face Emile and his Mother had was his Maternal Grandmother, who he has never met until that day, at the age of 14. Emile is faced with unfriendly kids at school and is left to fend for himself until he meets Eternity. Emile is trying to solve the mystery of his Father's disappearance and Eternity is trying to deal with her own secrets. They strike up friendship and help each other face their past. This book faces racism and the civil rights movement, but also scars that were left over from World War II. The common theme of this book is standing up for what is right, even when no one else will. Choices in life are not always solved in a years times period, change happens slowly over a lifetime. This is a book of great depth and of God's faithfulness. It is not light reading material, but a book I highly recommend.

Searching for Eternity I have just finished reading this book. In it I learned a lot about the French Resistance movement of WW II. The characters are well fleshed out. The subjects of fear, grief, betrayal,faith struggle, and growing up are handled realistically -- no easy solutions. I will buy more of Elizabeth Musser's work!

I've read four other books by Elizabeth Musser, but in my humble opinion, this is by far the best. There were so many things going on at so many levels that I couldn't wait to keep turning the pages. First of all, the mystery of Emile's father's disappearance runs through the entire book. There's the spiritual story of people suffering abuses in different times, places, and cultures--from Emile's suffering at the hands of racist bullies, to Eternity's abuse from her mother and men, to victims of the Holocaust and war. Such different levels and kinds of suffering, and yet they share similar struggles over leaving the past behind and starting life again. And then there's the love story between Emile and Eternity. They meet when they're thirteen and form a deep, lasting bond. Both are outcasts at Northside High School in Atlanta--Emile because of his heavy French accent and European ways, and Eternity because of her paradoxical love of culture and "trailer trash" family. A tragedy tears them apart while they're still young, but circumstances keep drawing them together over the years. They're never able to break away from one another, but terrible events in Eternity's past won't let them be together, either. I couldn't wait to get to the end and see what finally happened between the two of them, although I was almost afraid to. On a more trivial note, I enjoyed reading about familiar places in the Atlanta area. The story continues from 1964 up until the early nineties, and I was in Atlanta during some of those times. Characters ate at my favorite restaurants and attended churches I've gone to. It felt like a trip through my past as well.

Musser does a credible job of this male POV, bringing him from childhood to adulthood emotions without crossing the line of believability. History and mystery are woven throughout this tale of love, of loss, and hard-won forgiveness. The 60s were a turbulent time in the south, in our nation and the world. Only fifteen to twenty years had passed since the Great War. Musser's pen evokes an ambiance that wraps itself around the reader, drawing them deep into the story and the era. Searching for Eternity receives this reviewer's highest recommendation.

This book was a wonderful personal journey for me, living in the village of St. Romain, Emile's hometown. Elizabeth Musser paints a touching, yet realistic description of a young man finding his way through insecurity, culture shock, and faith. My daughters and I loved the different characters, and more than a few tears were shed as we read the book. Once again, Elizabeth, you've touched our hearts!