The Joy of Falling

Harrel (The Secrets of Paper and Ink) delves into pain and grief in this fine inspirational. Sisters-in-law Eva and Angela Jamison both lost their adventurous husbands in a scuba diving accident. Now, the two women are left to mourn their loss and rebuild their lives. Childless Eva was left “richer than God” by entrepreneur Brent, while Angela is forced to give up homeschooling her three children and work two jobs to support her family after the loss of Wes. Eva feels like she has lost all the color in her life; Angela is living on rage and refuses to talk about her pain. When Eva discovers that Brent and Wes had planned on competing in an ultramarathon in New Zealand with their friend Marc, she convinces Marc and reluctant Angela that the three of them should take on the challenge. As the months of training go by, Eva and Angela are forced to confront their loss, their future, and their relationship with God. They also must sort out feelings they are developing for new men in their lives. Harrel’s honest portrayal of two women struggling with grief, healing, and moving forward with their lives will appeal to any fan of inspirational fiction. (Apr.)