Swimming in the Deep End by Christina Suzann Nelson -- Review

About the Book

A moving novel entwining the many faces of motherly love

Jillian Cline has the perfect daughter: loving and smart, she's an Olympic hopeful with a bright future. But when Izzy becomes pregnant, Jillian fears that future is lost. Worse, she must confront her own secret past and hope the decisions she's made don't drown their whole family.

Izzy can't believe God let this happen to her. She knew the risks, but who thinks about that when they're in love? Now she has to face the consequences--and the disappointed stares from everyone who thought she was the perfect Christian girl. At least she has the baby's father, Travis. Nothing can tear them apart, right?

Margaret Owens had determined dreams for her son. She's furious that Izzy's pregnancy jeopardizes his college baseball scholarship and terrified that Travis will be trapped in a life of struggle and poverty--the life she's tried so hard to save him from. She'll do anything to protect him--even if it means forcing him to leave Izzy.

Stacey Frey is aching for a child of her own. But the son she was meant to adopt was taken before she could hold him in her arms. It feels like she'll never stop mourning; even the move to this new town hasn't distracted her from the pain. How can she and her husband find peace? Is there any hope of a family in their future?

And in the midst of all this . . . an unborn baby. Whose arms will hold him in the end?

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About the Author

Christina Suzann Nelson writes stories featuring women who survive circumstances to live lives closer to God's calling. She focuses on changing legacies from dysfunction to hope. 

Her first novel, If We Make It Home, released from Kregel Publication September 2017, gleaned the honor of debut of the month from Library Journal. The book was recently named a BEST BOOK of 2017 by Library Journal.

Christina's second novel with Kregel is scheduled to release in the fall of 2018. 

The Oregon Christian Writers named Nelson the 2017 Writer of Promise.
In 2010, she was a finalist for the ACFW Genesis contest in both contemporary and women's fiction. Her manuscript, Torn Edges, was named the 2014 overall winner in the ACFW Phoenix Rattler competition, a finalist in the 2015 ACFW Genesis, and won third place in the annual Idahope contest for unpublished novelists. Another of her manuscripts, The Azalea Sisters, made the semi-finals in the contemporary category of the ACFW Genesis for 2015.

For the past ten years, Christina has been a member of Oregon Christian Writers and American Christian Fiction Writers. She attends conferences and workshops throughout the year including the national ACFW conference. Within ACFW, Christina has served as the northwest zone director. 

Christina lives in Oregon's gorgeous Willamette Valley with her husband of twenty-five years and their four children. The family owns a small farm where the kids raise animals as 4H projects.

She is honored to be a member of the steering committee for Every Child, Benton and Linn County, where she has the opportunity to influence the lives of families and children in the foster care system.

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Review

​Swimming in the Deep End by Christina Suzann Nelson is a powerful and inspiring story of four women whose stories intertwine.  From page one, readers will be pulled into the book as the characters and stories of these four women spring from the pages and become real to the reader.  Readers will follow the women through some of the hard times in their lives and watch as they learn, grow, blossom, and overcome these struggles through hope.  There is also a strong theme of handling and dealing with teen pregnancy.  Readers will not forget this strong and stirring story that will touch deep in the heart of all, especially women readers.
 
Genre: fiction, Christian, Women’s
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Publication date: September 25, 2018
Number of pages: 288
 
A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley and JustRead Tours.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.