Still Life by Christa Parrish

★★★★★
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A tragic plane crash. One woman who lost her husband. Another who gave up her seat for him.

Adah spent her first twenty-five years with her family as part of a fringe religious sect. Her only contact with the outside world was through customers at their farm store. Then she met Julian, a photojournalist who'd come to document their lifestyle. They eloped mere days later and Adah was thrust into a completely new life as a wife, city-dweller, and an individual allowed to make her own decisions. But she has no idea who she is.

On her twenty-sixth birthday, Julian plans to fly home from an assignment to give her her first-ever birthday present. He's thrilled when Katherine Cramer gives up her seat so he can make the flight. But the plane crashes and everyone on board is killed, including Julian.

Adah is completely at a loss, with no friends and no marketable skills. When Julian's last photographs are published, her life erupts into chaos. She begins travelling – with Julian's camera for a companion – searching for answers to who she is and what she really wants.

Meanwhile, Katherine must live with the knowledge of why she gave up her seat – to extend her affair one more night. She recognizes her survival as a second chance to save her marriage. But is it too late?

When Adah's and Katherine's paths cross, they discover that there's still life ahead for both of them.

Christa Parrish’s Still Life captivated me from the first heartbreaking page. Two women, with very different lives, finds their lives disrupted by a devastating plane crash. As they make choices in the midst of the tragedy and brokenness, Parrish tells a beautiful story of hope, faith and moving forward. Though the tough challenges and questions continually tugged at my emotions, I enjoyed following the journey of these two women and the people around them. It’s lyrical and gripping, and I would recommend it for fans of contemporary character-driven fiction. It’s a great read and I know I now look forward to reading more from Christa Parrish.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of Still Life and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

About the Author

Christa Parrish is the author of five novels, including the 2009 ECPA Book of the Year Watch Over Me and the Christy Award-winning Stones for Bread. She lives in upstate New York with her husband, writer and pastor Chris Coppernoll. They have four children in their blended family.