A Bigger Life
by Annette Smith
Published by Navpress (January 15 release)
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Reviewed by Jamie Driggers
Joel Carpenter knows a few things. He is great with hair, and he is passionately in love with his son. Sunday afternoon he'll be hanging with the guys, and regardless of the fact that he is divorced, he still loves his ex-wife and would do just about anything to get her back. There is plenty that he isn't sure about though, and topping the list is whether there is anything behind the Christianity label besides judgment. When events take an unexpected turn for the worse, Joel gets his chance to find out.
In an addicting style, working forwards and backwards through time, Smith writes an engaging story of past mistakes and their effect on the present. She also writes an incredibly believable male point of view. I had to keep checking that a woman, indeed, wrote the book. Most of the story is told in such a way that you will feel like you are hearing it while sitting on a barstool. It is conversational, gritty and true to voice. It is painful and sweet, engaging and riveting, and you won't put it down.
Armchair Interviews says: Enduring characters that stir the emotions make for a great read.