Book Review: In Every Heartbeat

Recently I joined a group of people who review books only because I wanted one book as soon as I possibly could get it (and get it for free!!!).  When I got the email to choose that book, some other books were also available to read.  Not having read anything by those authors, I went ahead and took a chance on a few of them.


In Every Heartbeat by Kim Vogel Sawyer was one of those books I took a chance on and am so glad I did.  This book is about 3 young people, living during the time when WWI was about to begin, who have different backgrounds and have different goals for their lives, but have one thing in common - they are all orphans.  The time has come for them to go off to college, and they choose to go together.  Just as different as their backgrounds, their relationships with God are all at different stages as well.  I think this is one of the elements that makes this book so good.  Any reader could relate, more or less, to one of the character's relationship with God.

As the book moves on, the reader is given a glimpse into each character's background seeing how each was left alone.  This comes into play on more than one account as things come up in their present lives, how they deal with those situations, and how they develop their relationship with God.  When one of the characters' world is turned upside down and he has to face his past, you see each react in a different way and you see how they react to God in their lives at that point as well.  One realizes that what she has been doing as an odd job for extra money now does not fit with what God wants His children to be doing.  As the other one just struggles with his position at the orphanage, with his friends, at the college, with God and in the world.

I loved reading the book for many reasons, but Mrs. Sawyer does such a good job developing her characters, you just fall in love with them and want things to work out for good for them.  I did not want to put the book down because I wanted to see what would happen to them and how God would work in each of their lives.  I believe each reader can find themselves relating to one - if not all - of the characters in this book.  We have all been "blind as to look past Him . . . (searching) so hard . . . and He'd been there all the time, simply waiting for (us) to stop running and fall into His arms."  I would highly recommend this book to anyone!!!