Amy Inspired

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Amy InspiredBethany House; Original edition (October 1, 2010)
by
Bethany Pierce


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After completing a master's in Creative Writing and working as a visiting instructor at Miami University in Ohio, Bethany Pierce now lives with her husband in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she is a member of the McGuffey Art Center and continues to write. Her first book, Feeling for Bones, was one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2007.


ABOUT THE BOOK

With rejections piling up, she could use just a little inspiration...

Amy Gallagher is an aspiring writer who, after countless rejections, has settled for a career as an English professor in small-town Ohio just to pay the bills. All her dreams suddenly start to unravel as rejections pile up--both from publishers and her boyfriend.

But just as Amy fears her life is stuck in a holding pattern, she meets the mysterious, attractive, and unavailable Eli. She struggles to walk the fine line between friendship and something more with Eli, even as staying true to her faith becomes unexpectedly complicated.

When secrets, tragedy, and poor decisions cause rifts in Amy's relationships, she must come to terms with who she's become, her unrealized aspirations for her life, and the state of her faith. Can she dare to hope that she will find love and fulfillment despite it all?


If you would like to read the first chapter of Amy Inspired, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS:
I am a bit conflicted about this novel. While it was interesting, the faith aspect was confusing and even a bit disconcerting. I appreciate the intent of the author -- to peel back the layer of "playing church" with legalistic regulations and to show a more radical faith. But I was never able to feel settled regarding the faith that either Amy or her roommate professed. Sometimes I think folks justify their actions under the guise of faith outside the box. And I know I'm old-fashioned, but while Zoe felt she was doing her Christian duty to allow her jobless friend Eli to move into their living room, I really don't think two single girls have any business letting a single guy, unrelated to either of them, live in their apartment. Additionally, Amy mulled over some valid concerns regarding Eli's similarities to her father (who deserted his family), and it seemed like these were raised and then forgotten or ignored in order for the story to have a happy ending. But there are things to like about this story as well, among them Zoe's journey surrounding her mother's battle with cancer. Amy's writing difficulties and the rejections she receives, coupled with the struggles in her friendships amid the setting of her duties as an adjunct college professor (not to mention the awkwardness of a student's admiration), are also well-portrayed. Head over to CFBA's blog to find a list of other reviewers.