🏞️🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♂️❤️ 🏅 "The Joy of Falling" 🏅 ❤️🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♂️🏞️ (2020) - Book Review
MY REVIEW
Paperback: 340 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 14,
2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0785230009
ISBN-13: 978-0785230007
Click Picture for Purchase Information
“Eva and Angela must learn to live again. One
step at a time.
It has
been fifteen months since Eva and Angela lost their thrill-seeking husbands in
a scuba diving accident. Both women are trying to navigate their way through
the grief, but neither one is making much progress. Angela is barely making
ends meet, angry at her husband for leaving her to raise three children on her
own. Meanwhile, Eva is stuck, unable to move forward after losing the love of
her life and her source of inspiration.
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?”
Thank you in advance to the publisher, Thomas
Nelson/TNZ Fiction, and JustRead Publicity Tours for providing a complimentary
UNCORRECTED advanced review copy. A positive review was not required. All words
are my own.
I was drawn to this book by not only the stunningly
gorgeous scenic cover (looks like paradise), but the premise of the book. Two
women – Eva and Angela – having been married to brothers, lose them in a diving
accident some 15 months earlier.
Despite the fact they are sisters-in-law, they
couldn’t be more different despite the shared grief. And, for most of the book,
I despised Angela. While I completely felt sorry for her, I felt that her
treatment of Eva was deplorable.
The idea of taking their husbands’ places in
the Ultra-Marathon in New Zealand was, to me, a great idea and I wholeheartedly
supported Eva. Angela’s reluctance was off-putting. I felt she was particularly
selfish, which in a way affected her relationship with her 16 year old
daughter, Kylee. Eva has no children because she and Brent thought they had
time.
Angela had plans in college which were derailed
by a pregnancy and marriage. Still, she tried to be grateful for the life she
had and not the one she’d lost. At one point her aunt was going to drive her to
get an abortion, which Angela refused.
Marc – Brent’s best friend – had missed that
fateful diving trip, and was going to be part of the marathon. As they were
going to go as a team – three have to go, or none.
Despite Eva’s offer to help, Angela turns her
away. Finally, Angela gives in to do the marathon. But, her schedule doesn’t allow
for training. This is where I admired Eva – she offers to pay for Angela, their
mother-in-law, and Angela’s kids to move down to New Zealand to complete their
training. This was something Eva didn’t have to do, and I admired her for doing
it.
Angela also decides to go, hoping to understand
why her husband wanted to engage in the risks – she often felt their family
wasn’t “enough” for him. And, she is hoping that her mother-in-law is right in
that to be a better mom for the kids, she has to heal herself. In this respect,
I agree, given the issue she was having with her oldest daughter.
This novel highlights the fact that grief, even
if shared, works differently. Angela was mad at Wes for “leaving” the family,
where Eva feels like Brent was the world for her.
Things don’t seem to improve with the
relocation – Angela is still trying to maintain control, even when Eva plans a
fun outing with a zip line.
Even as of chapter 22, the two women are still
a mess. Eva is starting to fall for Marc, while Angela is getting close to
Simon who is covering their story.
By chapter 27, Angela starts to soften up and
becomes a truly likeable character, lighter and less controlling. It is
actually her strength and tenacity that pulls the team together during the
marathon which is plagued by issues. She becomes the “never-give-up” fighter of
the trio, even becoming a true sister to Eva. Even when Eva is injured, Angela
refuses to leave the team behind, or quit. And, it is Angela who gives Eva a
push towards Marc.
What starts off as a way to honor their
husbands, both Eva and Angela become closer and discover that joy is found in
the journey. Both women are fighting for a new life that doesn’t completely
leave the past too far behind them. That is part of Eva’s problem – she doesn’t
want to leave her husband behind.
“The Joy of Falling” is not about moving on
from grief, but moving past it. Grief is different for everyone and it can’t be
compared. The days get better and fewer sad moments are there. It explores the
idea that pain and beauty can inspire us to bloom again.
The title comes from a post-marathon “bucket list”
item – parachuting out of a plane. Angela begins to find the “joy in falling”,
while trusting God to catch her. This is a beautiful sentiment and moment,
particularly in today’s time.
Distributed by the Christian division of Harper
Collins – Thomas Nelson/TNZ Fiction – this has some elements of faith. While there
are no sermons, visits to church, or even biblical passages/scripture – this does
have references to God and his will, trusting him. It is also a clean read – no
sex, no violence, and no obscene/questionable language.
Beautiful, frustrating, cathartic, and poignant
– I had a hard time putting this beautifully written novel down. As I was in
the middle of CampNaNoWriMo, I have been reading slower than normal.
RATING:
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating
explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)
(this would align with the Goodreads rating)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and
two golden retrievers in serious need of training. She’s held a variety of
writing and editing jobs over the years and now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood
with writing novels. When she’s not writing or chasing after her children,
Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by
Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time. Connect with her at www.LindsayHarrel.com.
You can
follow her on the following social media accounts:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindsayHarrel/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/lindsayharrel
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