In 1942 a distraught war widow, wandering the beaches because she cannot sleep, happens upon a wounded sailor. The widow, Helen, instinctively helps him until she notices his uniform…the wrong uniform. How Josef got there, and what happened to him and Helen make a riveting story.
After pondering for days, I’m still not sure what I think of this book. On the one hand, it’s an absorbing tale of fascinating people who learn about forgiveness. The Heart Mender approaches this vital topic from many angles without being preachy. In fact, I read the book with my heart thumping and could not put it down.
On the other hand, although the main story is satisfying, I’m disturbed by the author’s tale of how he came upon the information he used. Of course it’s impossible to determine where fact ends and fiction starts, but I can’t help asking, “Why share something so private?” Helping the world by modelling forgiveness is truly important. I wonder, though, if it couldn’t have been done without disturbing the main characters, who ended up moving to a different state … if they are, indeed, real.
The story presents forgiving as something one can—and must—do, but it doesn’t explicitly point to God who enables us to forgive. If a non-Christian reads this book, he will not understand.
The Heart Mender is a gripping book. I’m considering joining a book club and if I do, this will likely be my contribution. I’d love to discuss it with others.
You can read the first two chapters on The Heart Mender website.
Disclosure: As a BookSneeze reviewer, I received The Heart Mender for free from Thomas Nelson.
Oh this looks good! Must find a copy. Thanks for sharing.
[…] The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews, an interesting historical novel that leaves me with some serious questions. […]