Tuesday, May 20, 2008

The Things We Do For Love-Xavier Knight

The Things We Do For Love
Xavier Knight
Grand Central, Mar 2008, $14.99
ISBN: 9780446582384

Jesse Law grew up lonely as the youngest sibling in the first family of music. He became the most famous member of the Law brood with many hits by the time he turned twenty-year-old.

A decade later, his rise to the top is in his past. Yet he feels the happiest he ever has been due to his beloved wife Minister Dionne Favor and performing as lead singer of a gospel group. The both want a child, but she has not been able to conceive so they decide to adopt, but by doing so a skeleton hidden in his closet threatens their relationship as do secrets the media reveals about his friend and teammate Coleman Hill, the perfect husband and father. The media threatens to destroy everyone he cherishes.

This is a profound Christian drama in which devoted pious people face personal and family crisis. The key characters are fully developed so that fans will wonder whether Dionne can live up to the first half of the mantra to forgive is human; because she is human , to forget is divine seems out of reach once she knows Jesse’s secret, but also realizes the child should not be the victim. A secondary subplot involving homosexuality and Christianity needs to be required reading for those who demonize sexual preference. Throughout the well written character driven story line is the underlying message that people make mistakes, but God is forgiving so why can’t we forgive ourselves, our loved ones, and even strangers.

Harriet Klausner

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