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The Baker's Wifeby Erin Healy
Published by Thomas Nelson
Purchase on Amazon for $10.98
About the Book:
Before Audrey was the baker's wife, she was the pastor's wife. Then a scandalous lie cost her husband a pastoral career. Now the two work side-by-side running a bakery, serving coffee, and baking fresh bread. But the hurt still pulls at Audrey.
Driving early one morning to the bakery, Audrey's car strikes something-or someone-at a fog-shrouded intersection. She finds a motor scooter belonging to a local teacher. Blood is everywhere, but there's no trace of a body.
Both the scooter and the blood belong to detective Jack Mansfield's wife, and he's certain that Audrey is behind Julie's disappearance.
But the case dead-ends and the detective spirals into madness. When he takes her family and some patrons hostage at the bakery, Audrey is left with a soul-damaged ex-con and a cynical teen to solve the mystery. And she'll never manage that unless she taps into something she would rather leave behind-her excruciating ability to feel other's pain.
My Thoughts:
This is the story of a couple in the middle of a major trial in their lives. After losing his ministry due to a false accusation Geoff and his wife Audrey open a bakery using a skill that they had nurtured over the years of their marriage. Baking had been a means for them to strengthen their marriage and yet still serve those in their church and community who were hurting and need a little love in their lives - and now it was the means for them to make a living.
The main story focuses on the disappearance of Julie who is the detective's wife. The detective "Jack" believes that he is sinless and blameless before God and everyone else should be too. He believes that others suffer because they are sinners (depression, illness, death, loss of jobs, etc) and he believes that if the law won't take care of the problem then he will.
This outstanding book had only one thing that I am still trying to process and am unsure about. Audrey has the ability to connect with others and feel their pain. She believes this feeling comes from God and uses it to help others. To me this feeling is very close to what a physic does and I can't help but wonder if God would give that ability to someone. (Or is this the spiritual gift called discernment?) As you can see I'm not sure what to think here and have emailed the author to get some clarification.
Update:
My question was: "I wanted to ask about the 'gift' that Audrey has. I'm having a hard time understanding it, to be honest. Is it a psychic gift or a gift of discernment? I know that God does not give a gift of being psychic so I'm a little surprised this is in a Christian book. In many ways I know she feels she's being led by God to those who need help, but does He really work this way?"
You can find the author's answer here:
http://erinhealyblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/is-my-heroine-psychic.html
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm sure you will too. It's very fast paced and you won't want to put the book down. Parent's I'd suggest that you read the book first if you're going to leave it around for your kid's to pick up. Your kid may have questions. There are also questions in the back for discussion and book groups.
Read chapters 1-4.
Erin Healy is the award-winning fiction writer who has worked with many writers. She began working with Ted Dekker in 2002 editing 12 of his heart pounding thrillers. She has personally written 3 novels and released them in the last year:
The Promises She Keeps and Never Let You Go
I'm going to get both of these and add them to my library!
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