Contingency by Paula Wiseman ~ Powerful Novel of Forgiveness

My Review: All I could think to say when I finished this book was, "Wow!" And then, "Would I be able to do that?"

Bobbi and Chuck Molinsky are a typical Christian family, married for eighteen years, with two sons. But their world comes crashing down when Bobbi discovers Chuck's affair with his co-worker.
They never saw adultery coming, but now they are forced to face it head on. Will they choose to seek God's will in their broken marriage even when the pain is beyond anything they've ever experienced?

Paula Wiseman has written an epic story of forgiveness, love, heartache, and trusting God, even when the world is breaking apart all around. Though I had never personally experienced the full brunt of what Bobbi and Chuck went through, there were smaller aspects that related to sin in general that I think everyone can relate to on a deep level.

I was sucked into the story from the very first page, and I found it nearly impossible to put down, yet at times I found it necessary to stop, and really ponder certain topics that the book dug up. One thing Contingency hit on that never ceases to to amaze me, is how God can even use sin--no He doesn't cause the sin--but God can use things that are devastating for to work out His purpose, even though we can't see it at the time.

Contingency is a tale woven true, with real Biblical answers to tough questions. This book focuses on a God-centered life and marriage, something that is so hard to find in even Christian books. I loved how the characters came across as real people, who reacted in a very real and raw way. They weren't perfect, but each of them was uniquely real and even though coming into the book I thought I wouldn't like Chuck, I did by the end. Why? Because the characters had raw depth, they were 3-demensional and it was almost impossible to believe that they weren't real people.

Overall, this book was fantastic! Deep both emotionally and spiritually, with true Biblical basis. Though it deals with a tough sin, rarely touched upon in Christian fiction, Ms. Wiseman never went into more detail than was appropriate. I would highly recommend this to someone who wants to read a book that will make them think, and wants a book where characters deal with tough problems Biblically. Contingency surpassed all my expectations! Definitely a book I will remember!

Final Rating: 5.1 out of 5

I received this book from the author who graciously provided me with a copy in return for an honest review.