Reviewer: Lori Graham
Title: Loving Tenderness
Author: Gail Gaymer Martin
Publisher: Steeple Hill
ISBN: 0-373-87333-6
Release Date: November 2005
Genre/Sub-genre: Inspirational Romance
Year/Setting: Current
Overall rating: 4.8
Sexual content rating: None (a few kisses here and there is all)
Gail's Website:
www.gailmartin.com
Andrew Somerville has returned home as the prodigal son. In the parable Jesus relates, this son is greeted by disdain from the older son. In Andrew’s case, however, he is greeted with love from his older brother in spite of the fact Andrew ignored his father’s funeral. In theory, being forgiven and having a welcome home party thrown for you should create happiness and contentment, right? For Andrew, he could see Phillip loved him and forgave him but could he ever forgive himself.
Andrew returned to Loving because he truly had no where else to go. He had sunk to some pretty deep lows while on his own and because of this fact, couldn’t see how anyone could accept him…until a dark and stormy night (don’t all good stories start with a punch but this one aptly sets the stage for this story). While driving back to town, Andrew was surprised to see a woman and small child braving the elements of a mighty thunderstorm by walking down the side of the road. Because of the shock evident within the woman herself and the tiredness of her son, Hannah Currey accepted a ride from a stranger. With the light from the inside of the car, Andrew could see the nasty bruises and cuts marring the woman’s face. Hannah had no clue where to go as she had left with nothing but what they were wearing. Carefully, Andrew suggested a shelter for battered women run by the Hartman Sisters and supported by his church. At this point, Hannah had little in the way of choices.
Andrew found he could relate to the expressions going across Hannah’s face as they entered the shelter. Feeling like an outsider and down on your luck was nothing new to Andrew and he was determined to help Hannah through those feelings and get her on her feet. For Hannah, she was determined to stand on her own two feet, be strong and protect her son from the man she once loved and now no longer understood. Through the course of two broken people each trying to find tomorrow, Andrew and Hannah found so much more – in themselves, each other and most especially God.
This is the final book in the Loving Series Gail has been involved in. She has created a town in which I would truly like to visit and possibly stay awhile. In today’s world when we are faced with tragedies such as suicide bombers, drugs and teens killing teens, it is easy to become complacent in a way and just think of ourselves. With these large issues, one might look up and think God does not exist so we should worry about ourselves. Then something like Katrina comes along and while you still might question God, ignoring the pictures of people’s suffering is a tough thing to do.
In Gail’s world of Loving, I found myself being restored. Loving reminded me very much of the small hometown I grew up in. A world where everyone might know what was happening in your life but they also stood ready to help when you needed it. Seeing the characters she created in Loving Tenderness reach out to each other in spite of the pain they were dealing with in their own life is very uplifting. While it is fiction, the story is well written and can fan the hope living in your heart that tomorrow will be better as you deal with whatever stress is in your own life.
Gail Gaymer Martin has created a comforting haven in these pages for you to reside in for a time. Take a great cup of coffee (a cookie or something sweet would be nice) and curl up in a comfy spot and visit Loving. You will be glad that you did.
Lori
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