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TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE - Victoria Christopher Murray SIMON & SCHUSTER/Touchstone June 2008 |
SYNOPSIS: Essence - bestselling author Murray brings back her most notorious character, the equally beloved and despised Jasmine Larson Bush, from A SIN OR A SHAME.
INSPIRATIONAL FICTION |4+| Tricia-Ann Blades
REVIEW: One would think it wasn’t possible, but like fine wine, Victoria’s writing has improved with her newest novel, TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. In this sequel to A SIN AND A SHAME, Mrs. Murray has developed her characters to a deeper level, to the point where their storis have become so realistic as the themes of addiction, love and forgiveness are explored.
The issue of
forgiveness is so powerful as it goes more beyond 'I forgive you because... so
everything will be okay'. Forgiveness for Hosea and Jasmine was about true
forgiveness where they asked God to forgive them, forgave themselves and then
forgave the other. What it reinforced was that Hosea condemned her or rather
battled with overcoming what she had done, when he did the same thing himself.
As he battled with his past demons, it became apparent that thoughts are just as
bad and as sinful as deeds. His ability to forgive both himself and his wife
occurred when he is able to sever ties with his past. It reminds us that in
order to move on in life, we have to say good bye to various things in our life.
For Jasmine her deliverance came when she realises that as much as she
loves Hosea, she has to love herself enough to want to breakthrough her
addiction and love God enough to totally surrender to Him.
The theme
of addiction and forgiveness is reinforced in the characters of Alexis and
Brian. These two characters mirror the life of Hosea and Jasmine
While
Jasmine’s addiction is steeped in a lying tongue, Brian’s is steeped in sex.
Each addiction is destructive and must be brought
under control in order for deliverance to occur.
These lives parallels Jasmine and Hosea, just as
Hosea must forgive, so Alexis must forgive Brian and in so doing overcome her
deep seated hatred for her nemesis.
But this can only happen when she understands the
concept of forgiveness.
Each character had an addiction.
Each addiction when left unchecked carried a price.
Each price, being so dear, could have destroyed the men and women involved.
Ms Murray shows that as God is able to forgive us,
so we must be able to look past the addiction, which in our human flesh is hard,
and see the person and the pain through the eyes of God.
It is only through this that we can truly forgive
and have God forgive us as we overcome our strongholds.
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE is another excellent addition to Ms. Murray's
growing body of work!
reviewer@romanceincolor.com | 8th June 2008