I thought the premise for this novel was a good one. What if the “answer lady”, the woman with all the answers about how to make a marriage thrive, suddenly and unexpectedly found that her own husband wanted a divorce?\u00a0Desert Gift<\/strong><\/em> begins with Jill’s husband breaking the news to her just as she is leaving to promote her new book, the book that she couldn’t have written without his collaboration. Shell shocked, Jill attempts to fulfill her speaking commitments while trying to hide the fact that she is falling apart on the inside.<\/p>\n The author takes the reader through all the emotional turmoil suffered by Jill as she goes through the stages of anger, pain, grief, denial, blame, and finally deep soul searching and surrender to God. Her encounters with family, strangers, and friends provoke and encourage her. Before the book ends, Jill has learned quite a bit about herself and her motivation. The reader is also treated to Jill’s\u00a0 husband Jack’s side of the story as he goes through his own self examination. He is bewildered by his actions but also relieved. He doesn’t understand the reasons but only knows that he is extremely unhappy with their marriage. He also learns a few things about himself .<\/p>\n Desert Gift<\/strong><\/em> is filled with some wonderful characters who are able to speak into the lives of Jack and Jill. This is a wonderful story of forgiveness and reconciliation that goes beyond the Galloway marriage. Overflowing with wisdom, this book should prompt the reader to examine the relationships in her own life and apply the lessons learned.<\/p>\n This book was provided for review by Tyndale House Publishers.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n ABOUT THE BOOK:<\/strong><\/p>\n Read the first chapter of Desert Gift HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"..\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/divider21.jpg\" "\\"divider2\\"")
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<\/a>What does a nationally known marriage expert do when her own marriage falls apart? Just as Jillian Galloway sets out for a publicity tour to promote her new book, her husband drops a bombshell: He wants a divorce. Jill flees to her parents\u2019 home in the California desert, wondering whether everything she\u2019s built her career on\u2014indeed, everything she\u2019s built her life around\u2014is a sham. Navigating this \u201cside road\u201d of life is an uphill climb that leads to new understandings about herself, her marriage, and her relationship with the One who created marriage.<\/p>\n