Book Review: "The Sweet By and By" by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck

“The sins of the father”, or in this case the mother, is the theme of this surprisingly entertaining and thoughtful story of choices, lifestyles, communication, trust, and faith. Beryl is the aging hippie who is just beginning to lament the quality and the quantity of her husbands over the years, her decidedly off-hand parenting style, and the effect on her three grown (mostly) children: Aidan, confident and self-assured; Jade, nervous and needy; and Willow, young and superficially strong. As Jade alternatively approaches and withdraws from her impending wedding to Max, and the resulting new interdependence on his family and their friends, a tentative and uncomfortable reunion occurs between mother and children. Physical proximity does not mend years of neglect and disconnection and even routine encounters are fraught with angst and emotion.

And that’s just the first few chapters.

I found myself drawn into the world of Beryl Hill and her children, Granny, Lincoln, and other friends and lovers, and the residents of Whispering Hollow, Tennessee, where much of the action occurs. The primary setting is definitely contemporary, with frequent references to cell phones, e-mail, and the Internet, but the story is much older and often travels back decades to create a full and powerful chronology. As a Baby Boomer and a parent of grown children, I relate most easily to Beryl, who often grapples with the question of how she has arrived at this challenging and uncomfortable point in her life. Jade, who has long ago learned not to count on her mother, now finds that much of her is tied up with her mother and who she is.

I did not set out to enjoy this book, but I found the story of faith, forgiveness, and redemption to be a strong one. Sara Evans is a musician by trade and the lyrical nature of her prose and imagery reflects that ability to talk in almost poetic terms about everyday things. The large number of other characters lends strong support, and their interactions and relationships with each other and with the main characters make this a much richer story for a wide range of readers. A study guide at the end provides some helpful questions to stimulate discussion. While this is not a “preachy” book, it definitely conveys a message about how we love one another and how to navigate those difficult waters we call life.

I am a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/