Book Review: They Almost Always Come Home

When Libby's husband Greg doesn't return from a canoe trip to the Canadian wilderness, the authorities initially suspect that an unhappy husband has made his escape. Greg and Libby have been growing increasingly distant since the death of their daughter. An event for which Libby blames Greg.

His plans for his latest trip were not for fishing though, although he couldn't bring himself to tell his wife of his real plans. When he doesn't come home, Libby sets out to look for him, together with her best friend and her father-in-law. Along the way, she discovers all sorts of things about herself, her friends, her husband and her fragmented faith.

I sometimes find that I run out of steam (or interest) with Christian fiction stories, but this one kept me gripped all the way through. And as a photographer I really connected with Greg's dream! I did find the sudden shift to Greg's perspective such a long way in was a bit jarring, but at the same time it was good to 'hear' his viewpoint too.

Well-written and suspenseful (in a low-key sort of way), this is an involving story. I was reluctant to put it down. Recommended.

Price: £8.99
ISBN: 9781426702389
Published by: Abingdon Press (Distributed by Alban Books)
Available through any good bookshop or online

Is There a Letter You Wish You'd Written?

Today I paid a visit to my local library. I've not been for so long - working for a publisher means I'm rarely short of reading matter - that when I presented my card in order to borrow a book it was no longer recognised. However, I digress.

After browsing the shelves and selecting my book I noticed a table on which was a pile of local interest newspapers and magazines, and a slender book called 'The Letter I Wish I'd Written'. As I had some time, I sat down to read the opening letter in the book, and then read the second (which you can find on-line here: 'I wasn't really much of a dad..." It's well worth reading). And the third. And most of the others. They were fascinating, and thought provoking.

These letters were all written by people over 60, as if they were their younger selves. They started me wondering. Is there a letter I wish I'd written before it was too late? Am I in a situation now where I may think later on 'I wish I'd written a letter'? Are you? If so, maybe it's time to do some writing.