I normally shy away from fictional novels. It’s not that I
do not like them, but I feel like they are not necessarily a good use of my
free time, as I would prefer even my “free” time to be productive in some manner;
thus I tend to lean towards books that will lead to spiritual or personal
growth. And to be fully honest with you, I also lack self-control. When I start
reading a decent fictional work, I get caught up in it so that I can’t focus
mentally on the tasks around me until I put the completed book down. Even when
the ending is predictable, it’s hard for me to sleep until it is finished… not
so bad when I was single, but not when I am married with three little ones
running around!
So why did I choose this book to review? I read the
description and background behind the book and was interested before I realized
it was a novel. But by then my curiosity had gotten the best of me and well,
let’s just say I didn’t mind staying on the exercise bike ;)
Written by Rene Gutteridge and Michelle Cox, Just 18 Summers is a novel about four
families that struggle with grief, identity and life in the summer after the
death of Jenny Browning. From the memories and written accounts in the book (each
chapter is written from the perspective of different characters), the reader
easily deduces that Jenny was not only a wife, sister, and friend, but also a
devout believer in Christ whose life had a left a rippling effect in those
around her. Each family is thus left treading water at different stages of
life, trying to do it alone, apart from God’s grace. Butch Browning is the
father struggling with his new life as a widower. The Andersons are suffering
regret as they prepare to “lose” to children to the next stage of life (college
and marriage). The O’Reilly’s are a young couple expecting their first child.
The Buckleys have fallen into the trap of trying to provide their children
every opportunity the mother did not have growing up.
By the end of the book, through the counseling of a therapist
who happens to be a Christian, they’ve all learned the truth that an elderly billionaire
learned too late, lonely reminiscing that
When your child is born, eighteen
years seems like they’ll last forever. But it goes by in a blink. … You have
just eighteen summers to make memories together. You can’t go back and rewind
those days. (p167)
What a good message though! I’ve found myself thinking “18
summers” often since finishing this book, as it does seem to put it into a more
tangible time frame how much time I have
with my children; it is a good reminder
to be intentional with our children, both in teaching them to walk in the Lord
and to make lasting memories together, while also not being so fully absorbed
in them that you don’t have moments to yourself to get the rest and break you
need to rejuvenate yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Although their characters seem to each be a stereotypical
extreme, they are nonetheless easily relatable- and I believe most people would
be able to identify with one of the four families. Reflecting upon the novel, I
was most able to relate to Daphne. No, I didn’t baby proof my home with pool
noodles, nor did I worry my floor carpeting was too hard, but I do tend to seek
out godly parenting books (you can almost always find one on the nightstand!)
in order to try to garner “tangible, applicable” wisdom, when in conviction I wonder whether if I just read
the Bible and prayed whether I would be fairing just as well (if not better),
rather than struggling with “not doing enough”, the same thought I think each
of these four families struggled with at different degrees. So I appreciated
the gentle reminder when Beth tells a laboring Daphne that, “All the books in
the world won’t help you live in the moment… God has a plan and a purpose for
this little child, and He’s letting you be a part of it, so don’t worry.”
(p336)
What a great reminder of the blessing (and calling) God has given us
this Mother’s Day!
Disclosure of
Material Connection: I will be received this book free from the publisher in
exchange for the review. I was not required to write a positive review. The
opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with
the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
