Eva Jamison lost her husband eighteen months ago.
He and his brother drowned while diving. She was a talented florist, but hasn’t worked since Brent died. Instead, she volunteers at his favourite, lives off the proceeds from the fitness centres he co-founded, and mourns. When a chance telephone call offers the opportunity to raise money for Brent’s favourite charity, Eva is keen to help. But that requires help …
Angela Jamison hasn’t had time or energy to mourn her husband.
Instead, she works two jobs to support their three children, and tries to cope with her moody teenage daughter. She doesn’t have the time or energy to think or grieve, let alone train for an ultramarathon or travel halfway around the world to New Zealand’s South Island. And there’s the money … money she doesn’t have.
Two sisters in law, united by a common grief, and brought together by a unique opportunity—to run an ultramarathon in beautiful New Zealand. The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel #BookReview #JoyofFalling Share on XTwo sisters in law, united by a common grief, and brought together by a unique opportunity.
It’s a great premise, and while it did not motivate me to run any distance, the characters somehow managed to confince me that running an ultramarathon for 155 miles around the South Island was a great idea. (Hint: it’s a noble objective, and the scenery is fantastic, but I prefer to tour via a car, thank you very much.
I’ve visited many of the New Zealand settings from The Joy of Falling, and I definitely enjoyed those parts of the book. It’s great to read about a familiar setting, and especially to see it through the fresh eyes of visitors. Being in a new country gave the women (and the children) a chance to rediscover themselves.
The writing was excellent.
The story is a sensitive examination of grief from different perspectives. It’s also a story of discovery and making choices and finding the blessings in life, even in the hard times. It’s not an overtly Christian story, but the underlying themes and values are definitely Christian, and the overall tone is straight out of the Bible: be joyful always … even when it’s hard.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
About Lindsay Harrel
Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd with a B.A. in journalism and M.A. in English. She lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. Lindsay has held a variety of jobs, including curriculum editor for two universities, medical and business writer, and copywriter for a digital marketing agency. Now she juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with working freelance jobs, teaching college English courses online, and—of course—writing novels.
When she actually has time to do other things, she loves to sing, read, and sip passion iced teas from Starbucks. She loves to watch God work in ordinary lives to create something extraordinary, and she writes to bring hope to those who may have lost it along the way.
You can find Lindsay Harrel online at:
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About The Joy of Falling
Eva and Angela must learn to live again. One step at a time.
But then Eva gets a life-changing phone call. Before Brent and Wes died, they had signed up for a race of a lifetime—an ultra-marathon in beautiful New Zealand. Eva begs Angela to run the race with her in their husbands’ place, and Angela finally agrees, hoping to finally understand her husband’s choices.
Training is exhausting, and the race is even more demanding. Their journey grows more complicated by the presence of two men—Marc is Brent’s best friend who is running the race with Eva and Angela, and Simon King is a writer who is covering their inspiring story. With every step, Eva and Angela must ask themselves questions that they haven’t had the courage to ask before. As the women literally put one foot in front of the other, they wonder: Is it possible to find their way forward in hope?
You can find The Joy of Falling online at
Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong
