Reviewer Comments: Renee Delaney is homeless, pregnant and only 15 years old. She doesn’t know where she is going or how she is going to survive and take care of her baby. She heads toward a bus depot with all of her possessions in a backpack and only $300 in cash. On the way, she meets a homeless man named Jesse, who suggests that she head toward Fairbrook, a small town in California.
Craig Houston is on his way to Fairbrook to begin his first job as the associate pastor to the local church. Craig isn’t sure this is the job or the vocation for him. His grandfather was a famous missionary and Craig doesn’t know if he can fill those shoes. On his way, his car gives him repeated trouble and then he meets a homeless man named Jesse.
Kristy Smith has had a difficult life. She and her mother were homeless for years until her mother left her and she moved in with her grandmother. Then she got pregnant as a teenager on the same night that her grandmother had a stroke. Kristy gave up her dream of medical school to stay home, raise her son and take care of her grandmother. Hope comes when she meets a homeless man named Jesse.
Throughout this book, Jesse interacts with the people of Fairbrook and provides them with advice and insight into their individual situations. He offers the kindness of listening to them and the encouragement they need to make changes and address wrongs in their lives. Jesse is the thread that ties the different elements of this book together.
I greatly enjoyed this book. Ms. Duarte’s storytelling blends the tales of these individuals into a seamless tale connected by a common setting and a common stranger. The powerful tale inspires the reader to look beyond the surface of things into what the reality is. Jesse prompts each of these characters to really think about what they are doing and how they are living their lives. Are they making choices for themselves or only to keep others happy? What do they want out of life? Despite the different stories and events in this book, Ms. Duarte is able to use the character of Jesse and the small town setting to blend them together into a seamless whole. The story never felt forced or disjointed. Everything worked and flowed.
This book is not a romance in the typical fashion. There are no sex scenes although underage pregnancy is a topic so the characters are familiar with it. There are no huge romantic gestures. It is about the ways in which people fall in love and the sacrifices they make to help love along the way. These characters all find love. It is not all romantic love, but it is love in all its forms. There is a religious element to the story in that Craig is a pastor and he ministers to some of the people in the community, but the religion is quiet and understated. This was definitely a worthwhile read!
