This Side of Heaven

How sad - to die of a momentary miscalculation just when you're really beginning to live. How sad--to learn that your son really was all you would want him to be, after he's irretrievably lost. How sad--to grow up abused by a mother without the spiritual, emotional or material resources needed for parenting, when your perfectly nice Prince-Charming Daddy would love nothing more than to rescue you from all evil and make a safe and loving home for you. Kingsbury ably takes these tangled and tattered threads of life and weaves them into a Cinderella story that leaves readers a bit wiser about interactions with others and a bit more hopeful about life's possibilities. Wouldn't it be nice if real-life sorted itself out so neatly for more families affected by drug abuse and alienation? But, as that kid in "Angels in the Outfield" would say, "It COULD happen." Janet Gingold author of Finch Goes Wild

After reading This Side of Heaven by Karen Kingsbury, I realized more than ever before I need to live my life in the now; tell my children that I am proud of them even when they have done something that does not warrant a second glance, and lastly, live with no regrets. Josh Warren understood why his family was disappointed in him; he was kind of disappointed in himself. But never once did he harbor ill feelings toward them. He loved them unconditionally. Though Josh was suffering from a bad accident he tried to put a front on and not focus too much on his pain. Due to the accident Josh cannot work, and while he waits for the insurance company to award him a settlement, Josh hangs on to his faith because he longs to one day hold his daughter, Savannah. His parents, Annie and Nate, do not believe that Savannah is his, but deep within his entire being Josh has no doubt. Would Josh be able to finally hold his daughter? Would his parents finally be proud of him and all that he has done? Normally, I do not talk about the cover of a book, but I absolutely loved the cover. The yellow had a calming effect on me. The little girl with the bright blue eyes made me smile when I read something that brought tears to my eyes. I became teary eyed at least twice while reading this heart-warming and eye-opening book. I enjoyed This Side of Heaven from page one until the very last page. I recommend this book to readers of Christian fiction and to parents. Jennifer Coissiere APOOO BookClub

I just finished this book and I have to say I think this is one of her best ever! This story just came alive for me and jumped off the pages of the book right into my heart. This book definitely has some unexpected twists to it that you won't see coming. Make sure before you sit down with this one that you grab a box of tissues- you'll need them!

Karen Kingsbury displays her absolute best storytelling in "This Side of Heaven." The tale of a young man who's made some mistakes and had some misfortune, this novel grabbed this reader's heart so quickly that 70 pages flew by before I knew it and I was waking up at 3 AM just so I could read a bit before I got up to get ready for work! Investing oneself in Karen's cast of characters is very easy. The unemployed and ever in pain Josh is easy to fall for as he renews his commitment to Jesus and tries to clean his life up so he can pick up the pieces of what he's become and move onto a more promising future. His hopeful sister, Lindsay, adds the cheer-for-the-underdog element. Josh's disappointed mother is a bit less lovable, but Karen Kingsbury introduces her characters so well that you like them before you engage their flaws. This is part of the mastery of her storytelling ability and why her characters are so believable - they are NOT PERFECT. They have depth and dimension and are very real as you get to know them in the pages of her books. And I must highly recommend this one! And a box of tissues...

Once again this is an awesome book. I read it in 2 days. I absolutely loved it. I liked how at the end Karen wrote about her true life situation that caused her to write this book. A great story!!