Sunrise on the Battery

Title: SUNRISE ON THE BATTERY
Author: Beth Webb Hart
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
October 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59554-200-7
Genre: Inspirational/contemporary/women’s fiction

Mary Lynn Scoville is dogged by emptiness. Really, it shouldn’t. She has three accomplished, beautiful daughters, a financially successful husband, and has reached the pinnacle of financial success. Yet, the emptiness won’t go away. And it couldn’t be filled by shopping, a European vacation, or a full social calendar.

When Mary Lynn discovers a faith, she wants her husband to go with her to the town’s society-driven church. But Jackson resists. He wants nothing to do with God. At least until he has a Damascus Road type conversion. Suddenly, Jackson begins to take God and scripture more literal that Mary Lynn imagined, and instead of faith in God pulling them together, it’s pulling them apart—and ruining their social status—and destroying their perfect life.

Mary Lynn never wanted to be married to a Jesus Freak. She just wanted her husband to sit beside her in church. Now, she’s looking at divorce—or, is there another answer she hasn’t yet discovered?

SUNRISE ON THE BATTERY is the first book I read by Ms. Hart, though I do have one of her older books on my to-be-read pile. So, I went into this book with no expectations. The story is beautifully crafted, very well-written, and complete with descriptions that can draw the reader into the scene. Even though Mary Lynn was not anyone I could relate to, I did get to know her well through the pages of this book.

I did disagree with several theological statements, and found the story very slow and dragging, easy-to-put down. But it may be just because it isn’t my “cup of tea.”

If you are looking for a women’s fiction book full of controversy that literally tears a characters world to shreds, then SUNRISE ON THE BATTERY is a book that you might want to consider reading. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $15.99. 294 pages.

I received this book from the publicist in return for review.