Review of Forsaking All Others by Allison Pittman

Rating: 5 Stars

~  ~  ~

Synopsis from Tyndale: Camilla Fox is alive. The last thing she remembers is being lost in the snow after leaving her home to escape the Mormon faith she no longer calls her own. She’s been taken in by the 5th Infantry Regiment of the US Army and given over to the personal care of Captain Charles Brandon. As she regains her strength, memories of her two children she had to leave behind come flooding back, threatening to break her heart. Camilla is determined to reunite with her daughters. But when news of her father’s grave illness reaches her, she knows she must return to the family farm to reconcile with her father. As spring arrives, Camilla returns to Salt Lake City a changed woman, but nothing could prepare her for the changes to the city, to the Mormon church, and to the family she left behind.

watch on tyndale.com

Review: I have been anticipating the release of Forsaking All Others since reading For Time and Eternity last year.  Allison Pittman never fails to produce a five star novel; each of her books have a permanent home on my bookshelf.  Forsaking All Others continues Camilla Fox's story seamlessly, beginning at the point where For Time and Eternity ended. Told in first person, the novel reads like a diary.  We are privy to Camilla's most personal emotions, doubts, fears, and her ever growing faith. Camilla's story is bittersweet  with a sadness that lingers throughout the plot. Her circumstances are difficult and much of the novel focuses on Camilla's quest to save her daughters and reconcile with her parents.  Despite the degree of heaviness to the plot, Pittman engages the reader with poignant writing.  Pittman has created a timeless and memorable heroine in Camilla, who exhibits an inspiring strength by grasping the truth of her Christian faith even when it requires her to travel a difficult path.

Allison Pittman is a standout in her genre. Her novels offer fresh plots with emotional depth, realistic characters, a strong Christian element, and a message that remains even after other books are long forgotten.

For Time & Eternity, Allison Pittman

Rating: 5 stars

The first installment of Allison Pittman’s The Sister Wife Series is a poignant introduction to Camilla Deardon’s story that will resonate with readers long after the last word is read.  For Time & Eternity introduces readers to Camilla’s journey from her Christian home to life in a Mormon community.  Captivated by the handsome and charming Nathan Fox, Camilla chooses to leave her strict home and embrace the love offered by Nathan and his fellow Mormons.  While her marriage and family flourishes in the beginning, the less ideal aspects of the Mormon faith are soon unveiled.  For Time & Eternity is a story of love, faith, and sacrifice, and Camilla must make challenging and life-changing decisions.  

I have been a fan of Allison Pittman’s work since reading her first novel, Ten Thousand Charms, and I have enjoyed each of her novels.  For Time & Eternity tops my 2010 reading list.  Allison Pittman delves into a theological subject matter without creating novel that is too “preachy” or heavy. Camilla’s story intrigued me from the first page and kept me engrossed until the very end.  I empathized with Camilla’s plight and mourned her losses.  The novel lingers in my mind and I often discuss it with my sister, who also read the novel.  Very rarely am I so moved by a novel, and I am anxiously awaiting the next chapter in Camilla’s life.  For Time & Eternity is not a light read. In fact, it can be somewhat heartbreaking, but it is indescribably moving.  This is a must-read novel that will long remain on my bookshelf and in my heart.