One Light Still Shines {Book Review}

I mentioned in April that I was thrilled to discover the website Booksneeze! This website offers the opportunity to receive free books in exchange for honest reviews from bloggers. I was excited to find this site because as y'all know I do love reading and what a great opportunity! I received my last book from them in December and just haven't had a chance to post my review until now- partially because this book is so incredibly simple yet amazingly powerful. I was thrilled to receive my newest book and have the opportunity to review such a high quality book. I appreciate the opportunity (as a writer) to examine someone else's amazing work! There are so many talented and inspiring writers in our society! *smiles* I was really interested in this book and chose it specifically because of the title and the story. I don't think that anyone will forget the Amish Schoolhouse shooting or the way that we as a nation (and the world) were brought to tears not only over the loss of life, but over the grace and forgiveness of the Amish. In fact many people watched in awe at what transpired and left us speechless at the idea of such forgiveness. 

In this book Marie Monville does an amazing job of weaving her story as the former wife of the shooter and how her life was transformed by not only her faith in God but this grace and forgiveness that was offered to her and her children (and other family members). The way that these lives were bound together and the relationships that exist till this day could only come about by God. Marie paints and shares this beautiful story (and what has happened since that awful day) in such a way that the reader honestly forgets that they are reading a book but instead truly feels like that you are sitting down with her and she is voicing this story to you. At many moments in this book I was brought to tears and literally did cry at the beautiful picture that is exposed in "Wall of Grace" (a moving and emotional chapter in the book). As I walked away from the book I was inspired by the tender story of faith, the thread of hope that surrounds extreme crisis, and the beautiful faith of a people that I didn't know much about. There was such beauty in this book that this simple review would not be able to do it justice. 

This book has been life changing to me and over the last several weeks I have read it many times - making notes and highlighting sections that have continued to resonate with me. If you are looking for a book that is meant to inspire you will find that but you also will find much more. You will find the extraordinary way that God is not only working in Marie's life but in your own.