Provided to me as a complimentary copy by Tyndale, In Broken Places is the narrative of Shelby, a 35-year-old adult survivor of child abuse. Although it's a novel, In Broken Places reads like an autobiography (I still have a hard time convincing myself it isn't, so connected did I become to the main character). Perhaps that's because the author herself is a child abuse survivor. Through an unusual turn-of-events, Shelby becomes the legal guardian of her 4-year-old half-sister. The new parental role, a major job/location change, and an unexpected romance all combine to force Shelby to deal squarely with the unresolved heart issues left by her abusive father.
At first, the confusing back-and-forth between Shelby's adult life and her childhood flashbacks left me feeling like I had to run to catch up with a book that started out rocketing full speed ahead. But by the time I was about a third of the way through the book, I was completely hooked. The voice of Shelby in this book was so real, so witty, and so honest that I wanted her as my new best friend in the worst way! I appreciate how the author handled the weighty subject of child abuse with grace, honesty, and even humor. If you read this book (and I highly recommend it to any reader), you will be enlightened by its insight and completely beguiled by its central character.
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