Though My Heart Is Torn

While reading Joanne Bischof's debut novel, Be Still My Soul, I held my breath as Lonnie Sawyer struggled to earn Gideon O'Riley's love. By the end of the book, I realized the difficult journey had been worth it. Lonnie had found her joy.

What I didn't expect to discover in the second Cadence of Grace story, THOUGH MY HEART IS TORN, was that Cassie Allen (a mysterious minor character from book one) would try to spoil every happiness the O'Rileys had found by claiming she was Gideon's rightful wife. Naturally, her claim caused heartache and sorrow for both Lonnie and Gideon, as evidenced in chapter 10, page 64: “The thought of losing Gideon struck Lonnie's heart like a stone.” The world collapsed around them, and they wondered if they'd ever know joy again. Did they discover the true Source of peaceful joy? You'll have to read the book to find out!

With Lonnie and Gideon struggling to overcome their heartache, my thoughts drifted to a similar track. How do we overcome sorrow? Author Joanne Bischof hinted at the answer in chapter 18, when Gideon said, “Lonnie, I would do anything to earn your forgiveness.” Though forgiveness is not earned but freely given, seeking the precious treasure from God is the first step to our joy returning.

THOUGH MY HEART IS TORN is a beautifully written struggle to unearth joy in the midst of shattered dreams. Joanne paints a stunningly sorrowful tale infused with a sparkling streak of hope that satisfies the reader's heart. This book will leave you anxiously awaiting the third installment in Joanne Bischof's Cadence of Grace series.

You may order THOUGH MY HEART IS TORN from Joanne Bischof's website: www.joannebischof.com

How have you overcome heartache and sorrow?


Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah for my copy of Though My Heart Is Torn for this review.