Wednesday, January 28, 2015

# A Thing of Beauty # book

Book Review: A Thing of Beauty

It's a wonder to behold what happens when love moves in . . .

Former child star Fiona Hume deserted the movie biz a decade ago--right after she left rehab. She landed in Baltimore, bought a dilapidated old mansion downtown, and hatched dreams of restoring it into a masterpiece, complete with a studio for herself. She would disappear from public view and live an artist's life.

That was the plan.

Ten years later, Fiona's huge house is filled with junk purchased at thrift stores, haggled over at yard sales, or picked up from the side of the road. Each piece was destined for an art project . . . but all she's got so far is a piece of twine with some antique buttons threaded down its length.

She's thirty-two years old and still recognizable, but Fiona's money has finally run out. She's gotten pretty desperate, too, and in her desperation she's willing to do almost anything for money. Almost. So it is that she comes to rent out the maid's quarters to a local blacksmith named Josia Yeu.

Josia is everything Fiona isn't: gregarious, peaceful, in control without controlling . . . in short, happy. As the light from the maid's quarters begins to permeate the dank rooms of Fiona's world, something else begins to transform as well--something inside Fiona. Something even she can see is beautiful.

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I'm going to start off this review by saying that if the occasional curse word offends you, don't pick up this book. It seems to be the biggest complaint from other reviewers and while it speaks of authenticity to me, it screams non-christian to others. That being said, I'm not going to get on top of any religious soapbox. Your beliefs are yours. Mine are mine and that isn't what we're here for. Now, on to what I thought!

I very much enjoyed this book. As someone who comes from a damaged background and is a borderline hoarder with ocd tendencies, I completely understood the character of Fiona. She was real. She was authentic and her story, though fiction, probably could be any one of a number of real stories. This story is one of redemption and hope and the truth that sometimes you just have to remove people from your life so that you can live yours in the healthiest way possible. It doesn't make you an awful person, it just means you're taking care of yourself. This story doesn't end with a fairytale happily ever after but it ends in a place where happiness is now possible and the future holds promise...and while some complain that this isn't an in your face God story, I don't think that's a bad thing. Sometimes the way to reach people is by telling a story without pushing your beliefs in their face and sometimes what people need is hope that there is a clear space at the end of their tunnel.

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I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review.  All thoughts, comments, and opinions are my own.
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