Travelers Rest by Ann Tatlock

Travelers Rest by Ann Tatlock is a gripping, touching story of a young couple whose world is forever changed when Seth returned from service in Iraq gravely wounded.

The story focuses on the human interactions and the emotional consequences when the future is no longer filled with easy dreams.  It tackles tough questions:  Is it more loving to the other person to let them go, or to hold on? Is happiness still possible when normal activities are impossible? Do the people in the middle of the story have the perspective to even make a choice about their future together? Does anyone else even have the right to have an opinion? What is the role of family (and who is family)? Do circumstances change commitment?  Can the sins of the past be redeemed? Can you be happy with new dreams instead of the old ones?

The tone of Travelers Rest steers a fine balance between the reality of the facts and faith in possibilities, without getting mired down in depressing ‘realism’ and also without getting stuck in annoying clichés.  Faith is present, but not always obvious.  Love is there, but not always where you expect it. And ultimately the book is satisfying, even if it is not easy.  

[Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House as part of their Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ]