Of Stillness and Storm

Sam, Lauren, and their son Ryan had a quiet, happy life in Muncie, Ind., until Sam feels the call to be a missionary to remote villages in Nepal. Despite Lauren and Ryan’s obvious misery over the decision, they go. While Sam treks through the Himalayan villages for weeks at a time, Lauren tries to hold down the fort for herself and her son. Despite Lauren’s best efforts, Ryan continues to deteriorate under the weight of loneliness and depression. No longer close to his mother, and hating his father, he disconnects from everyone and everything. While Sam finds purpose in his calling, he can’t see past the Nepali people into his own son’s heart. Lauren, lonely and in despair over her son’s emotional and rebellious state, reconnects with an old friend from high school. Aidan comes back into her life at seemingly the perfect time for both of them, but Lauren doesn’t realize how rekindling that special friendship could further affect her family. As events push Sam and Lauren apartthe family struggles to keep together and Ryan begins to wonder if things will ever be the same again. In this fine novel, Phoenix (Tangled Ashes) realistically captures the deep struggles enveloping a missionary family. Agent: Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary (Dec.)