Desert Gift

Summary:

What does a nationally known marriage expert do when her own marriage falls apart? Just as Jillian Galloway sets out for a publicity tour to promote her new book, her husband drops a bombshell: He wants a divorce. Jill flees to her parents’ home in the California desert, wondering whether everything she’s built her career on—indeed, everything she’s built her life around—is a sham. Navigating this “side road” of life is an uphill climb that leads to new understandings about herself, her marriage, and her relationship with the One who created marriage.

My Take:

A book about a marriage falling apart didn't appeal to me at the outset. I'm more about romance and happily every after. There is a part of me that also thinks being real is valuable and I wondered just how this author tackled this very important topic. Was it sugar coated? Was everything fixed with a fancy dinner and flowers? Did a prayer make everything all better?


The truth is this book was refreshingly real in many ways. Jillian has been telling everyone how to make sure their marriages are perfect but she hasn't been taking note of her own. Her husband isn't even sure why he wants out at first - just that he feels like he can't breathe and that she is the cause of his pain. 


As time passes Jillian has to take a hard look at who she has become and whether she likes that person. Then she deals with her faith and how she feels about family as well. Only then is she truly ready to try and fix her marriage. Her husband deals with his own issues. Neither is perfect and on top of their marriage problems, their son comes back from a trip with a surprise fiance. They want to get married right away - so now the stunned couple have a wedding to plan while their marriage is disintegrating.


What I liked is that there were no easy answers given in the book. People judged, fought and struggled in a way that was both unique to her situation and that many people will be able to relate to. I thought the characters were well written. I got angry and felt bad for them at different times in the story. I don't know that enjoy is the right word for the book - but I took away a lot from it and I would suggest it to others. 
Tyndale provided my copy in return for my honest review.