A moving story: My review of Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy

Publisher: Bethany House (October 1, 2011)

Book Synopsis as provided by the Publisher:

When an insidious genetic disease strikes her family, Harvard graduate Dr. Kai Chang must alert Lily, the sister Kai left on orphanage steps years earlier. Standing in her way are the Powells, Lily's adoptive parents. Gloria Powell, a shy pastor's wife, distrusts Kai and thinks her presence will send their troubled seventeen-year-old over the precipice of teenage angst. A Texas-sized tornado whirls when Kai summons the Powells to a Fort Worth hotel. Tempers and cultures collide. Can Kai and Gloria, separated by culture and faith but devoted to Lily, reconcile their differences and trust their dreams to God?

MY REVIEW

Reclaiming Lily is a story that you cannot help but be moved by, with characters so real that by the end of the book they will feel like family. I'll be honest - some parts meandered a bit slowly, and at those points I almost lost interest in the story. But I am so glad I continued reading, as I was ultimately swept up into the pain and the triumph of the characters. In fact, some moments were profoundly touching and brought tears to my eyes, such as the scene where Joy finds Gloria on the bathroom floor. 

Probably my favorite character was Kai with her strong, determined spirit, rising above the tragedy of the past violence of the Chinese cultural revolution. Her search for God (or perhaps his pursuit of her) was profound and ultimately triumphant, and Lacy expertly incorporated the saving power of Jesus into the story without being the least bit preachy. The conclusion is powerful and left me with a feeling of deep satisfaction. This was the first novel that I have read by Patti Lacy - but it certainly will not be the last.

I strongly recommend this book and give it 4 out of 5 stars. Readers who enjoy contemporary novels, and books that wrestle with very real issues like cross-cultural adoption and the reality of kidney disease, will especially appreciate this novel.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.