By Michele Phoenix
This book can be summed up in a single word ~ WOW. But a single word does not do this book justice. I've read Michele Phoenix's work in the past and, though it was well-written and the story good, it did not grab me the way this book did. This book, this story, is very moving.
The Space Between Words is a convergence of two stories, of two times, of two women, caught up in pain of hate and loss.
Adeline Baillard is living for her faith though it came at great cost ~ as a Huguenot Adeline is living a life persecuted by the French government. But her faith is the backbone of her life and for this she is willing to give her life.
Jessica is living in the present day, visiting France with her friends Patrick and Vonda. But when an attack occurs shattering Jessica's world and her sense of safety with it. Pushed to continue the trip that had been planned before the attack Jess finds an antique sewing box that holds a long-hidden secret that reveals part of Adeline's story.
Connecting to this young woman of conviction sets Jess on a journey to discover the fate of the Baillard family. But this journey may be just what Jess needs as she searches for the truth of the past and confronts the recent pain of her present.
This is a story not to be missed - just be sure to have a box of tissues nearby there are some especially moving scenes. (Yes, I admit it a couple of times I was moved to tears which does not happen often). I really liked the way the stories were told together. They were woven in such a way that it didn't feel forced.
If you are looking for something different to read or are just a fan of fiction give The Space Between Words a try. It has a freshness to it that is interesting to explore and it doesn't shy away from the topics it is exploring. This would be an excellent book club selection if you are looking for a suggestion.
I was provided a complimentary review copy of this book by the Fiction Guild, a positive review was not expected, all opinions expressed are my own.
About the Book:
"There were seconds, when I woke, when the world felt unshrouded.
Then memory returned."
When Jessica regains consciousness in a French hospital on the day after the Paris attacks, all she can think of is fleeing the site of the horror she survived. But Patrick, the steadfast friend who hasn’t left her side, urges her to reconsider her decision. Worn down by his insistence, she reluctantly agrees to follow through with the trip they’d planned before the tragedy.
“The pages found you,” Patrick whispered.
“Now you need to figure out what they’re trying to say.”
During a stop at a country flea market, Jessica finds a faded document concealed in an antique. As new friends help her to translate the archaic French, they uncover the story of Adeline Baillard, a young woman who lived centuries before—her faith condemned, her life endangered, her community decimated by the Huguenot persecution.
“I write for our descendants, for those who will
not understand the cost of our survival.”
Determined to learn the Baillard family’s fate, Jessica retraces their flight from France to England, spurred on by a need she doesn’t understand.
Could this stranger who lived three hundred years
before hold the key to Jessica’s survival?
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~ Blooming with Books