Of Stillness and Storm by Michèle Phoenix Published by Thomas Nelson on December 6th 2016
Genres: General Fiction
Pages: 336
Format: eBook
Source: BookLook Bloggers & Thomas Nelson
“I felt torn between two worlds. Each with its own mystery. One more captivating than the other, but the other more real and breathing.”
It took Lauren and her husband ten years to achieve their dream—reaching primitive tribes in remote regions of Nepal. But while Sam treks into the Himalayas for weeks at a time, finding passion and purpose in his work among the needy, Lauren and Ryan stay behind, their daily reality more taxing than inspiring. For them, what started as a calling begins to feel like the family’s undoing.
At the peak of her isolation and disillusion, a friend from Lauren’s past enters her life again. But as her communication with Aidan intensifies, so does the tension of coping with the present while reengaging with the past. It’s thirteen-year-old Ryan who most keenly bears the brunt of her distraction.
Intimate and bold, Of Stillness and Storm weaves profound dilemmas into a tale of troubled love and honorable intentions gone awry.
**Special thanks to BookLook Bloggers & Thomas Nelson for supplying my copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
Of Stillness and Storm is the story of Lauren and Sam and their dream to achieve something of purpose. Sam’s dream has always been to be a missionary. He was waiting for a sense of calling to know his purpose. Finally he finds this in Nepal. Together, Lauren, Sam and their teenage son Ryan go to Nepal to fulfill the dream. However, what looks like purpose for Sam is nothing but being stranded in nowhere for Lauren and Ryan. Sam enjoys every agony of his mission, while Lauren and Ryan suffer the inadequate living style.
This is the first book I read for Michele Phoenix. The book didn’t turn out to be what I thought it was. I was frustrated by the characters. I mean, are those people for real?! I had a problem with the way they made their decisions. It’s not whether I agreed to it or not. It’s a matter of being logical and realistic so that you can feel immersed and connected to the story line. I couldn’t imagine such passiveness on Lauren’s side. Also the dialogue wasn’t that good. The discussions were so “unreal”. I remember staring at the pages in the middle of the night open eyed and thinking “Oh … really!!”
Too many times I felt like leaving the book. However, I didn’t. I struggled through the pages of the book till the end.
Finally, this is was not my cup of tea I guess.
About Michèle Phoenix
Raised in France by a Canadian father and an American mother, Michèle is a mentor, author and speaker with international sensitivities. She taught for twenty years at Black Forest Academy (Germany) before launching her own work as an advocate for Third Culture Kids. She now travels globally to consult and teach on topics related to this unique people group. She loves good conversations, mischievous students and Marvel movies.