Kim has not had an easy life being brought up in foster homes, and can't get rid of the guilt she harbors over a tragic mistake she made years ago. Then she meets Rick, who also has a disturbing background, but seems to understand Kim.
Eventually he will become abusive and Kim will believe she deserves the hits she takes as a way of paying for her past sins. Kim and Rick’s new neighbor, Joshua, hears and sees the bruises and wants to help Kim, but also has a daughter he must protect. Then there is Debbie, who has saved countless women from abuse through the shelter she runs. When a baby is born to Kim and Rick, and the beatings lead to possible danger for the baby, Kim decides to get away, and Joshua and Debbie are there to help.

This was a hard story to tell, but the author did a very real and meaningful job of exposing the real heartache of abuse. What really got me, and which I did not see coming, was how this story unfolded at the end. Not giving anything else away. ( )

I'm surprised I made it through this book. ( )

This is the first book by Alison Strobel I've read, and it was a doozy. The story goes back and forth from character to character. Kim is being abused by Rick, Joshua is raising his young daughter after his wife dies, and he has to deal with his in laws, and Debbie is there for everyone, know matter what they need. All the characters are multi faceted and well developed. The characters of Kim and especially Rick were so spot on, the author must have done much research about abuse for this book.

The main message I got out of the book is that no matter what you've done in the past, God can and will forgive you and that you need to forgive yourself. The only negative thing I can say about the book is that there was an overload of characters mentioned that you never read about again.

Overall this book was an amazing read. I highly recommend it and I can't wait to read more from Alison Strobel. ( )

"The Weight of Shadows" is an extremely well written book about domestic violence and abuse. Alison delicately, but truthfully, handles the subject and makes this a book that every female should read. Although it has some disturbing situations, this one is going to be required reading for my daughter. Abuse is not always seen by the person involved until it's too late, and this book points out those signs, while incorporating them into a gripping story.

This is a book I couldn't put down. It was painful to read at times, but still one that kept me captive until the very end. To deal with domestic abuse and to be able to crawl inside the head of a victim is a gift. Alison was blessed with that gift. Kim, the main character, felt real - too real. Many times, I wanted to save her, to shake her and have her wake up. It was difficult at times to sit behind the pages of the book, knowing that there was nothing I could do except go along for the ride. Hmmmm - just like the real thing.... Watching an abused woman until she decides it is time to get help.

I highly recommend this book to all females. I would suggest that parents read this before giving it to their teens. It is full of information that should be discussed between parents and their children. Knowing that abuse it not the victim's fault and that they never deserve it, may just prevent a potential problem in their future.

Parental note: Contains domestic abuse, violence, cutting, discussions of women wanting to kill their husbands and living together outside of marriage. ( )

What's holding you back from living your best life? From being you?
We don't forgive ourselves. We did something, in our past, that we just haven't gotten over. God has forgiven us. The person we hurt has probably forgiven us. But we haven't forgiven ourselves. And because we haven't – we're stuck. We fell that we're not worthy of something better or we feel that we're getting what we deserve. Or both. So we have stopped living in the moment, and continue to live in the past. This hurts us and it hurts our families and friends.

Off-topic: I used to volunteer when I was in high school and college. I don't know exactly how I stopped, but I've been having a hard time getting started back up. Ya know – single mom, more than full-time job, not a lot of free time, nor money for a sitter, and on, and on. But I was only a few pages into this book when I opened my computer, did a search on Google, found what I was looking for, and shot off an email. I sent it to the director of a non-profit organization offering my time for a few hours each week. I just needed a little nudge, and this book gave it to me. No excuses. Not anymore, anyway. We'll see where it goes, but I've taken the first step. By the time this post is up on my blog, a couple of months should have passed, with some progress made.

Back on-topic: This book was so real. It wasn't over-the-top. It wasn't missing any details. It was just exactly right. For me, anyway. My favorite parts were the “starting over” parts. Each of the characters had something that was holding them back from living in the moment. Something in their past they were afraid to give up. For Joshua, it was the death of his wife. For Kim, it was a tragic occurrence when she was a foster child. For Debbie, it was the last conversation she had with her sister before her sister died. But they each also have someone who is rooting for them. They just don't realize it. And the ending has an oh-my-goodness! twist that I wasn't expecting – at all!

This is a Christian fiction book. If that scares you, then this book isn't for you. If you simply don't understand Christianity, then you should take a look, since the characters will try to break-it-down for you. But it's not in-your-face. I like that. ( )