I have not read a lot of Christian fiction, and was a bit wary of diving into this story about a widow with six children who is at odds with her preacher. However, I liked both Miranda and her brother-in-law, Jack, right away. Their story had flaws, and the characters could've used a bit more fleshing out, but overall I liked the book.

I have no idea if children raised without television or fiction really are so well-behaved or not - but they seemed entirely too mature to me, especially the 10-year-old daughter. They started acting like children only when exposed to things like Green Eggs & Ham and Wal-Mart? Not sure what that's supposed to say about our society these days.

I would've liked to hear more about Jack's character. He seemed a bit too ready-made to fit into this household of a widow and her six children. I think the author attempted to give him some baggage in the form of his ex-wife, but it never came across as weighing heavily on him. His fear of Friday's and his heartache over his mother's death didn't go far enough for me.

And Miranda. Well, at first I was angry that she didn't confide her fears about social services to Jack. I thought she was being naive and that her silence would be her undoing. Upon reflection, I suppose that she is a woman with very little life experience. Married at 19 to an over-bearing man and then sucked into a cult-like atmosphere by a domineering preacher, I don't suppose she's had occasion to trust much in her life. Of course, then I felt distanced from her character even more. Although I did like her, I didn't really connect with her.

All this makes it sound like I didn't like the book -- which isn't the case at all. It was entertaining enough to keep me engaged and was a great weekend read. It is not a genre I would've picked up on my own and I was pleasantly surprised.

Thank you, goodreads.com, for sending me this book as one of your giveaway deals. What a great experience! :D