Dan Walsh’s books have never disappointed and this was no exception. I enjoy Walsh’s books because they are firmly rooted in faith without being judgmental or preachy. It may sound corny but I always feel lighter after reading his books and they almost always catch me in my ‘feels’.
This one touched on a pretty sensitive topic; feeling unappreciated in a marriage. I am sure that is something ever married person has felt at some point, even in cases where there isn’t a separation. I did find that Jim was a bit too oblivious. People are selfish as a whole. But there had to be signs that he noticed about the state of his marriage, and choose to ignore. While it may be easy to dismiss Marilyn as wimpy or too submissive she did what most people do. Whether they admit it or not most married people will put up with a lot in the sake of saving or keeping their marriage. And as with most situations, it was a tiny straw that broke the proverbial back and made her leave. Again some people may find that unbelievable but I didn’t since it tends to be the case in any relationship.
While Jim’s self-awareness of his missteps as the story progressed was well documented, the same was not done for Marilyn. She was the one who let the behavior continue for as long as she did. Even though she did become more assertive, she never had a moment of clarity. Things may not have gotten that bad had she drawn a line with Jim about anything during the course of their marriage. So they both had to admit and come to terms with their failings during the course of the marriage.
I do like at the end how everything wasn’t neatly tied together. The general story arch for this one did end. Since it is a series around the family, there were seed planted for the work that still needed be done before they can be ready to grow and walk further in their faith and life together. I will likely pick up the rest of this series as my wallet allows me to.