Review: The Chance by Karen Kingsbury

The Chance by Karen Kingsbury

The Chance is a heartwarming story about childhood friends, broken lives, and a long ago promise that just might offer the hope of love for today. In The Chance, Karen delves deeply into a theme that resonates with us all: It’s never too late for those willing to take a chance.
Years ago, the day before Ellie moved from Georgia to California, she and her best friend Nolan sat beneath the Spanish moss of an ancient oak tree where they wrote letters to each other, and sealed them in a rusty old metal box. The plan was to return eleven years later and read them. But now, as that date arrives, much has changed. Ellie, bereft of the faith she grew up with, is a single mom living in a tired apartment trying to make ends meet. Sometimes she watches television to catch a glimpse of her old friend —Nolan, now an NBA star, whose terrible personal tragedies fueled his faith and athletic drive in equal measure. But Nolan also suffers from a transcendent loneliness that nothing has ever eased.
In their separate lives, as Ellie and Nolan move toward the possibility of a reunion at the oak tree, Kingsbury weaves a tale of heart-wrenching loss, the power of faith, and the wounds that only love can heal.

Publishes in US: March 5th 2013
Genre: adult contemporary christian
Source: netgalley

Buy it: Amazon     Barnes & Noble       Book Depository

Find Karen online:
Site   Facebook   Twitter

    Like many of her books that I have read, The Chance starts out pulling at my heartstrings. It starts when Ellie is a young teenager and her parents' marriage is falling apart. It is so emotional seeing her blame herself and the conclusion that her mom must not love her because she chose another man over her and her dad. Ms. Kingsbury knows how to write emotions so that you feel them right along with her characters.
    I didn't expect to hear from the parents of Ellie at the beginning but it was neat to get their perspectives and see where things went wrong with them.
    The set-up between Ellie and Nolan is sweet, and I am right there wishing for them to be able to reunite. It was emotional seeing her tearful goodbye, and I wonder at how they never got in touch but still cared for each other so much.
    It is so hard watching everything fall apart, and everyone getting into these incredibly low points in their lives, but it is so awesome how Karen Kingsbury weaves everything together, bringing hope back into their lives just a little bit at a time, how religion ties in, showing God's work and providence in each character's life.
    The ending was beautiful and moving, and I love how Ellie really renewed her faith in God after watching how God carefully lined up each event, touched it with his power, and moved everything to fix what was broken.

Bottom Line: Sweet and emotional novel about the power of prayer and how God can orchestrate miracles, but on his time not ours.

My question to you, my lovely readers:

Is there a friendship from when you were younger you would like to rekindle?