Book Review: Crooked Lines by Holly Michael

by ohiosarah on August 27, 2014

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About the Book:

On the shores of Lake Michigan, Rebecca Meyer seeks escape. Guilt-ridden over her little sister’s death, she sets her heart on India, a symbol of peace.

Across the ocean in South India, Sagai Raj leaves his tranquil hill station home and impoverished family to answer a higher calling. Pushing through diverse cultural and religious milieus, he labors toward his goals, while wrong turns and bad choices block Rebecca from hers.

Traveling similar paths and bridged across oceans through a priest, the two desire peace and their divine destiny. But vows and blind obedience at all costs must be weighed…and buried memories, unearthed.

Crooked Lines, a beautifully crafted debut novel, threads the lives of two determined souls from different continents and cultures. Compelling characters struggle with spirituality through despair and deceptions in search of truth.

You may purchase a copy on Amazon both for Kindle and physical copies.

About the Author:

Crooked Lines is Holly Michael’s debut novel. Her stories have been published in Guideposts books and in various magazines and newspapers. She’s worked as a ghostwriter, journalist, and newspaper features writer. She and her husband, Anglican Bishop Leo Michael, enjoy travel and the two regularly visit India. Holly is the mother of a lovely daughter, Betsy, and two sons, Jake and Nick. She enjoys watching football, especially when her sons are playing–Jake (NFL) and Nick (Rajin’ Cajuns).

Connect with Holly on Facebook, her blog, and her website.

Also check out the book, Crooked Lines, Facebook page.

My Opinion:

At first I wasn’t sure what to think about this book – the beginning was intriguing but since Holly is a debut author I honestly was worried that her writing wouldn’t be up to what I was used too. I was wrong. Holly’s debut book starts out with an intriguing sentence, “It didn’t occur to me at the edge of the pond that I’d broken the sixth commandment, actually committed murder.” Now that is a way to start a book and pull the reader in – at least this reader. When Holly put out the call for reviewers and after I read the description I knew I wanted to give her book a try and I’m so glad I did, the book pulled me in and I read it quite fast – it’s not a long book but it’s not a short book either. The story of Rebecca Meyer was one fraught with sadness, loneliness and ultimately a path directed by the Lord and the story of Sagai Raj is one of a boy who is in a loving family but which much is expected until he feels called to the ministry in the Anglican church.

Rebecca is drawn to India – she feels it represents a peace she can’t find at home and so her life revolves around her wanting to make it to India at some point and she begins corresponding with a priest who also know Sagai. I don’t want to give spoilers but Rebecca’s character is one that is full of real life struggles and Holly does a great job in making the reader feel that and sympathize with Rebecca’s plight as she goes from a woe is me girl to a woman who is able to stand on her own feet and seeks to follow the Lord. Sagai is also full of questions as he sees more of the priest hood and what it’s going to entail and even those priests who are less than Christian in their acts. Both characters are well developed and the plot weaves together intricately and ends in a wonderful way – that I suspected would happen at some point but I wasn’t sure when. I’m looking forward to reading more of Holly Michael’s works – I definitely enjoyed this one, I think the only drawback was that my e-copy contained some errors but nothing that another second reading wouldn’t remedy.