"The Air We Breathe" by Christa Parrish

Christa Parrish has one of the most unique voices in Christian fiction. Her writing is deeply descriptive, to the point that you see and smell and hear the surroundings. How the characters think and feel is also very personally detailed, and you feel like you're right there, almost a part of it all rather than an observer.

"The Air We Breathe" tells its story from a few different points of view. There is Molly in 2009, a teenaged girl who is terrified to leave her home. She hasn't stepped outside in years. Yet she's managed to make a friend in the pizza delivery boy who works across the street, and he's interested in helping her break out of the bonds that hold her captive.

There's also Claire in 2002. After losing both of her children in a tragic accident, and then her husband through divorce, Claire is a broken woman. Barely exisiting, she's only making it one day at a time. But then a little girl enters her life. Hanna, who has been through unspeakable horror. Hanna latches onto Claire because she sees something real and honest in all of Claire's pain.

There's a level of mystery in the way the story is layered. Each chapter peels back the plot to reveal a little more of the tapestry Parrish has woven. You can't look away through the sparks of gentle romance, the anguish of loss and fear, and the intrigue of how the two timelines work together to form one story. This wasn't a lighthearted read but it had a solid and real feel to it, the kind you would recognize from intense times in your own life. This is a book about connecting and how God puts the right people in our lives just when we need them. It's one of those stories that will stay with you for a while as you seek to find healing for the loss or grief in your own life.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.