Bonnie Grove Reviews

Added September 21, 2009

Talking to the Dead

Author: Bonnie Grove
Publisher: David C. Cook Publishers
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date: Available now
Genre: Fiction/Christian
Format: Trade Paper
Price: $14.99
ISBN-13: 978-1-434766-41-0
Author Email/Website: http://www.bonniegrove.com/
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

Talking to the Dead voices the fears and anger of a young widow and gives readers a poignant look into her pain. When Kevin Davis died suddenly, his wife, Kate, struggles to get on with her life. At first glance, this is a normal reaction to the death of a loved one, but Kate's problems are intensified because she can hear Kevin speaking to her. Her world gets smaller and smaller as his voice gets louder, until Kate decides to break the bondage and embrace the truth.

The novel starts quietly, almost in a hushed manner, as readers join Kate's family after the funeral to whisper about the tragedy and wonder about the future of his grieving wife. When the last guest is gone and Kevin starts speaking to Kate, the novel enters another realm that gradually reveals some important insights about the couple's relationship.

While there is an aura of the supernatural in these pages, the author decisively guides the story to a psychological and spiritual arena. Moments of humor and heartache mingle as Kate emotionally grapples with the ghost of her husband, seeking help from a counselor and even an exorcist. Her mental state becomes increasingly fragile, creating a sense of urgency.

Christianity enters the novel as an unconventional pastor offers Kate a path out of her madness and into a more meaningful existence. This aspect of the novel was sensitively portrayed, mixing the grittiness of her wounded life with the promise of glory. Death is a mystery this side of the grave, and the author combines that uncertainty with a woman who teeters on the brink of insanity, another unknown. As Kate encounters clues, other characters, and her husband's past, the fragments form a genuine faith.

Talking to the Dead has a lot to say about living.

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