Book Review - Daisy Chain, by Mary DeMuth

This book troubled me. It stirred the waters in my heart and left me feeling restless - about the realities of the world I live in, about the consequences of sin, and about the lies we often believe. Daisy Chain peeled back the layers and let me see the truth about domestic abuse through the eyes of Jed Pepper, a young man trying to make sense of his own dysfunctional family and the disappearance of his best friend.

I live in Texas and I know the heat, the dust, and the grit that wove its way through Daisy Chain, but I lived it while reading this book, not from personal experience, but because Mary took me there with each word. Defiance, Texas, became real to me as she spun her tale of sorrow and redemption.

The characters were fresh and alive with originality. They could be neighbors or fellow church members - those I pass in the aisles of my local grocery store. Real. And gritty. And frustrating at times with their humanity.

More than anything else, I love that this story offers no pat answer, trite religion, or seamless ending. It is a beautiful portrayal of the brokenness and the redemption that go hand-in-hand in this fallen world.

A challenging must-read, worth every penny.