A Writing Upon the Sand Book Review

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I received A Writing Upon the Sand compliments of the author in exchange for my honest review.

A Writing Upon the Sand is the debut title by author J.M. Kirkley. This book is a work of historical Christian fiction, and I really enjoyed it! The story begins with the main character, Emily Cleburne, leaving her parents to live with her aunt and uncle and be a caregiver for her cousins in Galveston, Texas.

While in Galveston, Emily meets two men, Nathan and Colin. Her heart is drawn to both for different reasons, and as the story progresses, each man’s true character is revealed. The story takes place just before, during, and after the 1900 Galveston hurricane. The book does an excellent job of combining fact and fiction through its inclusion of facts about Galveston and the 1900 hurricane.

I enjoyed how the characters were written, and although Emily is fictional, she seemed very believable to me. I don’t generally read much Christian fiction because the stories and characters seem too perfect and unrealistic, but Emily’s thoughts were very relatable. Overall, this is a compelling story of hope amid hardship. I love the deep truths it includes about God, which Christian fiction often seems to miss, and I couldn’t put this book down! I even felt a little sad upon finishing it. I eagerly anticipate reading more by Kirkley in the future!