LEARNING TO BREATHE AGAIN: Choosing Life and Finding Hope After a Shattering Loss

Although September 10, 2001, dawned gloriously for Christian recording artist Trent (She took her husband's first name as her married last name) and her husband, Trent Lenderink, it ended in tragedy. That afternoon the vacationing couple strolled down to a Jamaican dock where Trent's husband entered the water for a short dive. Since he was an experienced scuba diver, she had little fear that her husband would return shortly and join her on the dock. When over 45 minutes had passed, however, she knew she might not see him again. In this sentimental and mawkish memoir, Trent recounts her life and love with her husband, who was her high-school sweetheart. Although the story of her nightmarish tragedy is certainly heartfelt, it is not well told: the prose is overdone as Trent recalls her anguish at her husband's death and her slow recovery, thanks to the help of family and friends. Better editing could have removed the excessive adverbs that mar the writing and the hagiographic tone Trent uses to describe her husband. There are few spiritual insights to broaden the book's appeal beyond Trent's own fans, but they will undoubtedly appreciate the chatty inside view of the singer's personal life. (July)