Child of Mine by David and Beverly Lewis - Review

I received this book in exchange for my review. No other compensation given.

Flight instructor Jack Livingston has been raising his eight-year-old adopted niece, Natalie, since the accident that took her parents' lives. When he travels, Natalie is tenderly cared for by her Amish nanny, Laura Mast, who loves the little girl as her own.  

Eight excruciating years ago, Kelly Maines's baby was kidnapped. Determined to find her child, Kelly has tirelessly pursued every lead to its bitter end. And now, with the clock ticking, one last clue from a private investigator ignites a tiny flame of hope: Just a few miles away lives a young girl who matches the profile. 
 
Can this be, at long last, Kelly's beloved daughter?



You can find this book on Amazon, Deeper Shopping, and other online retailers. 

About the Authors:

Beverly Marie Jones (Lewis) was born in the heart of Amish country—Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At the tender age of nine, she began writing short stories and poetry. Prior to that, she made up lyrics to the "little fingers" piano pieces she learned, at the age of five.

"My mother saved everything I wrote, even the stories I dreamed up during my grade school years," Beverly says. One such tale is semi-autobiographical, about a young girl whose parents can no longer afford to give her piano lessons. The manuscript was 77 pages long and titled "She Shall Have Music," penned under the shade of a lone willow tree. "Reading, writing, and playing piano have been top three on my list of favorite things," she says.

Not until her own children were well into middle school did Beverly seek to publish her work, first in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Dolphin Log, and Guideposts for Kids. Her first book followed in 1993—Mountain Bikes and Garbanzo Beans—presently retitled Big Bad Beans (book #22 in the popular Cul-de-Sac Kids series of chapter books—see list of Bev's children's books).

David Lewis is the bestselling author ofComing Home, his first solo novel, as well as a keyboard artist and pilot. He is the first editor for his wife, Beverly Lewis, as well as research partner and manager. David was born in Minnesota, grew up in the Midwest, and met Beverly in Colorado, where they currently make their home.


I received this book from TBCN  and Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion. I am not required to give a positive review.

My Thoughts:
WOW! This book took hold on my emotions! It was interesting from the start, but about half way through, I just could not put it down! It was a roller coaster ride of cheering on the characters, experiencing their pains and joy, and the feeling of knowing the characters personally.

Every time I thought I had it figured out... The authors threw in a new twist. On a deeper level, this book is also about choices, consequences, forgiveness, truth, reality, and issues people deal with daily. You will find much food for thought as you read this book. It certainly makes you take a look inside you.

Something that spoke to me in this story, was Kelly's feeling of desertion by her friends and community after years of searching for her child. The people are tired of your problems attitude. After searching for her daughter for eight years, there were very few supporters out there. She gave up all she had, time, money, to keep looking. She withdrew from people. It reminded me of the importance of being supportive, sticking by people even when their trials seem to be hopeless, or not necessarily have an end in sight. We need to be careful not to judge, or tell people to "just get over it". It's not always that simple. 

Although the outcome of the book is positive - thank goodness! The ending is not exactly what you expect. I highly recommend this book - You will be surprised!