Becoming Us

By Robin Jones Gunn

(Book 1 – Haven Makers series)

Publisher: Multnomah

Release Date: May 7, 2019

ISBN# 978-0735290754

320 Pages

Topics:  Friendship, Sisters, Domestic Life, Infertility, relationships,

About the Book:  From the author of the best-selling Christy Miller and Sisterchicks series comes a refreshing novel that celebrates the gift of friendship.

Five young women, including beloved Gunn characters Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen, gather for a simple Christmas party and soon become unlikely best friends. Told from the viewpoint of Emily, a timid young mom going through a difficult season of life, the regular gatherings provide the much-needed community she’s longed for. As the women begin sharing their life stories in Becoming Us they are endeared to each other and find ways to challenge, encourage, and help each other become the nurturing mothers they wished they’d had when they were growing up. They see themselves as Haven Makers and unite to be remembered for what they do and not for what was done to them.

Nora’s Review:  This author brilliantly blends together fun, realistic situations with characters I instantly cared for, intermingled with a natural spiritual thread – it’s a winning combination. Emily’s family is looking for a fresh start in California. It’s a chance to make decisions without either of their families breathing down their necks. Life has thrown them for a loop. They are hurt, weary and seek a new perspective on how to do family and life. Emily and Trevor’s twelve-year-old daughter Audra loves California and quickly makes friends. Trevor works at a car dealership his family owns and Emily works at a coffee shop.

Emily gets invited to a Christian woman’s book club of sorts. She goes but is very guarded about what she shares. She doesn’t want to get close to this small group of women because she might be moving back to North Carolina if things didn’t turn around soon for Trevor at the dealership. Things weren’t going according to the plan.

This author has a gift of making readers feel part of this group who admits they struggle as they do their best to walk out being a wife, mom and Christ follower; it’s not easy. They call themselves The Daughters of Eve. Emily was amazed and refreshed to meet a group of real, ladies accepting her with open arms, filled with love and grace. She could finally breath, (not having to live up to relatives’ expectations, and dealing with their manipulative ways.) Emily was encouraged to see wisdom blossom in her friends, husband and daughter as they seek insight, healing and understanding of themselves, God and others through prayer.

Family can be complicated, messy and a struggle. I enjoyed reading about these ladies doing life together through tears, laughter, love and grace all gifts given from old dear friends one to another. Blessings and lessons are scattered throughout the novel as they usually are in this authors’ books.

Themes talked about in this novel are marriage, parenthood, family, forgiveness, hope, God’s mysterious timing and ways are so much bigger than us. I liked that this author naturally points readers closer to God in each season of life discussed. I was encouraged and inspired, by the characters just as I was when I read the SisterChick novel. I highly recommend this story for a wonderful read and one that would be great for your next book club pick with discussion questions at the end of the book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher/BookLook.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! http://www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog http://www.psalm516.blogspot.com
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