By Betty Lou Roselle
Gracie Lynne’s The Shattered Vase gives readers a positive way to handle huge disappointments in our lives. Our heroine Susie seems overly tolerant of her husband’s boorish behavior. He has taken to spending the weekends on his new hobby, hunting leaving his family at home.
You might think that Susie must be pretty dense not realizing her husband is having an affair. To those of us who have experienced the betrayal of a loved one, it feels all too familiar. After the truth comes out, you look back at all the strange incidents that pointed to this and wonder why you never saw it coming.
Perhaps, it is guilt but Susie’s Joe seems more cruel than most. Not only is he leaving her and their three children but he verbally tears her apart as well. Betrayal, Arrogance, Deceit, Rejection and Despair gang up to try to take Susie down hoping she will choose suicide. But Susie has some powerful friends. Hope, Faith, Joy, Trust and Love join forces to watch over her. Susie relies on her faith to strengthen her and the love of her children to keep her going.
I really enjoyed the author’s use of the virtues as the friends that gathered around her. God always seems to send us angels when we need them most. It is her religion that keeps Susie from trying to seek revenge against her husband. Instead her focus is on her love of the children and what is best for them. She reaches out to her mother even though they have never been close and is rewarded with reconciliation.
Lynne’s story is engaging and well-paced keeping the reader turning the page to find out who wins the battle of good against evil. We can sometimes forget spiritual strength can overcome darkness. This is a book that can be a blueprint for anyone going through a challenging situation. I highly recommend it.
The Shattered Vase is published by GracieLynne6 and available at amazon.com.
This is one of several books I have read showcasing good strong women of faith. The other books are Dr. Cookie Magee’s autobiography Shopping for a Lighter Cross and her latest book Glimpses of God: Seeing God in Everyday Life which will be online soon.