The Chance, by Karen Kingsbury, 2013, Howard Books (Simon & Schuster)

Have you read any of Karen Kingsbury’s books? They are published under the category of FICTION/Christian Romance. I ran into a list of her novels while researching publishers for the novel I have been working on. Then I found several of her books in our church library. I took out this one because it seemed to be the most similar to my own book.

The Chance refers to a chance that two childhood friends create for themselves to meet together on a certain date later in life. Their young friendship is suddenly ripped apart by the protagonist’s father moving her far away from her hometown. She loses touch with her best friend and also her mother, and ultimately with God. Her father’s military outlook on life and faith and obedience, while seemingly serving him well in his career, are counterproductive when it comes to his own family. The young girl, longing for some love in her life, falls for the wrong person and finds herself a single mom at the age of 19. While she succeeds in her own strength to make a way for herself and her daughter, deep in her heart she longs for her old friend and her mother. Her daughter comes into a childhood faith and begins to pray for her mother. One thing leads to another, and eventually relationships are restored and forgiveness takes place.

Similar themes in my own novel are around family issues and teenage pregnancy, as well as the power of prayer, plus the happiness and joy that can be found in spite of mistakes and failures, in fact even as a direct result of those mistakes and failures! All is not lost after all, despite how one may feel for a period of time.