4 out of 4 stars
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Snow Sometimes Falls by Brian Ming is a novel about a Baptist pastor and his family. Together, they face difficult times in their lives with strength and faith. The question is, will Dave’s faith be strong enough to get him through the secrets that are trying to bubble back to the surface?
When Dave is a little boy, he has a frightening experience in a backyard tree swing. Thunder cracks as lightning hits the tree above him, throwing Dave into the snow. Lying on the ground, he hears a message from God that sticks in his memory for years. Now, as an adult, he is still looking for the meaning of the words.
His family moves from Texas to Montana, where Dave takes a job as new pastor of a church. The church is run down and some of the people are critical, causing Dave to wonder whether or not they made the right decision to relocate. This church also puts a lot of emphasis on the Christmas production, making Dave wonder what the big deal is. He wants to make a difference in this church and the community, and he asks God to work a miracle through him, dusty buildings and Christmas pageantry aside.
The book describes Dave’s journey as a man maturing as an adult. Readers follow his relationship with his older parents, with church members, and with his wife and children. We see the family reach out to others, including a young couple who can use some friends. One of the themes in the story is that people don’t have to stop growing after becoming adults.
During the first year of the family’s tenure at the church, we also see how the oldest son, Josh, connects with new friends. One of these adolescent friends is Buddy, a young man with autism who has a gift for technology. I enjoyed seeing him used in the plot. Autism is becoming more and more common, and I like that this author included an autistic character in the book.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. The plot is solid with no extraneous subplots. Everything comes together, including both common and mysterious mentions in the plot. The characters are well-drawn, the dialogue is believable, and the narrative is smooth. It is much better than just a 3-star book because I can find no glaring issues with it. I listened to this book on Audible, and it sounded well-edited. I heard one mistake where some characters’ names were swapped, but that is certainly not enough to take away a star.
Snow Sometimes Falls would be a good read for Christians or for anyone interested in reading an uplifting story of a family who survives heartbreaks and trials. People preferring to read religious-free novels will want to stay away from this one, as the characters’ beliefs are more than undercurrents in the story.
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Snow Sometimes Falls
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