Almost Forever

De: Deborah Raney

Narrado por: Laurie Birmingham

A Christy Award finalist, bestselling author Deborah Raney has garnered the RITA Award, the HOLT Medallion, and a Silver Angel for her soulstirring fiction. In Almost Forever, five firefighters perish battling the flames of the homeless shelter in Hanover Falls. Shelter volunteer Bryn Hennesey’s grief at the loss of her husband is compounded by a secret, haunting question: Did she extinguish the candle before falling asleep on that fateful night?

©2010 Deborah Raney (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Good narration but way too much slow angst

I have to admit I skipped most of the middle of this book. I couldn’t handle the minutiae of the grief and guilt that seemed to drag on from the beginning. I also have to admit that I wasn’t very sympathetic with the main female character at the beginning, but she did grow into a strong female protagonist. I appreciated the way the author demonstrated the shades of gray involved in fault and human frailty. I also thought the legal system parts were well researched and represented.

The Power of Forgiveness

This is a story of an unintentional catastrophic error, that led to loss of lives, late confession and eventual forgiveness. Bryn was hunted by a costly mistake she made. Despite the passage of time, once she realized what happened, she was bent on turning herself in. I applaud her commitment to confession no matter how odd it seemed. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” We all make mistakes and should temper our drive to judge others. Ultimately, love and forgiveness brought peace and friendships.