A Stillness of Chimes

A book I recently read has stayed with me these past few weeks. Meg Moseley's A Stillness of Chimes held my interest from the very beginning as I wondered what troubled the lead male character, Sean Halloran. As that mystery, and many others, was revealed over the course of this novel, the characters wiggled into my heart. Laura, Sean, and Cassie each had their own problems to face, but I particularly connected with Laura Gantt.

Her battle to believe or disprove the rumors that her dad, who was thought to be lost to the lake, has been seen wandering around town reminds me of the story I'm writing right now. Though there isn't any hope for my character's loved one to return, the rumors surrounding Laura Gantt's father cause her to doubt everything she knew to be true. As Laura says, “This news about my dad... It changes everything.” Who knew one little whisper could change the entire dynamics of a lifetime of memories?

The one thing I don't like about this story was the inclusion of affairs. I realize it's a part of real life, but it isn't something I'm drawn to in the fictional books I read. I'd rather read about loyalty in marriage as it's the way I believe God created marriage to be between a husband and wife. However, I believe this book may provide guidance to God's saving grace for those who have made similar decisions in their lives.

I especially enjoyed Meg's style of writing. The reason? Because I never noticed I was reading a fictional story. It all seemed so real, so vivid. I was immersed in the characters' lives as if I were living among them. It's obvious a novel is well written when you don't notice the author. Sometimes pet words or habits in sentence structure cause me to lose focus on the story and notice the author's presence more. I've read two Meg Moseley books so far, and I never had that problem through any of the chapters in either novel. My hat's off to her, and I look forward to discovering more of her creative storylines.

Thank you so much to WaterBrook Multnomah for a complimentary copy of A Stillness of Chimes in exchange for this honest review.