The Space Between Words

I remember where I was when I heard about the shooting at the Bataclan in Paris on Friday, November 13, 2015.  I immediately said a prayer about the situation and read all I could about what happened and what could've caused such an incident to occur.  It broke my heart that 130 people lost their lives and hundreds were injured and left to live with the nightmare of what happened inside that night club.  It's always the why that gets me.

As time passes incidents like these are still in our minds but what you never really ponder is the victims and how they are handling life after such an incomprehensible horror.  This is the reason why I was drawn to The Space Between Words by Michele Phoenix. 

Jessica is living in Paris with her best friend Patrick and roommate Vonda.  Patrick and Jessica are planning a road trip across Paris but before they go Vonda invites Jessica and Patrick to a concert at the Bataclan.  Patrick can't make the concert but the girls do and they are there when the terrorists come in with guns blazing.  Jessica wakes up in a Paris hospital having been shot.  Patrick is by her side but Vonda can't take it and goes back to America.  

Jessica allows Patrick to talk her into continuing with their plans for the road trip so once she's out of the hospital and taken a few days to adjust to a new normal they are on the road.  They end up at a little bed and breakfast in the Paris countryside and this is where the story gets interesting.  There are some interesting twists that occur and Jessica ends up with "pages of a Huguenot Bible in an antique sewing box in Southern France, along with the journal of its last owner."  

The journal belonged to Adeline Baillard, a woman whose family was being persecuted for their faith, and had lived hundreds of years before Jessica reads her words.  This find sparks a hunger for knowledge of what happened to the Baillard family.  The journey to the truth takes Jessica to people and places she could've never imagined and brings her to a place she never thought she would get back to.

This book is not characterized as a suspense but you never quite know what is going to happen next which adds to the stories charm.  Being one that loves history and suspense I really enjoyed this book, even if it was nowhere near what I was expecting.  The characters are well developed and the story itself is beautifully written.  The tale of faith and overcoming even the most horrific ordeals is so inspiring.  Highly recommend!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review