Angels Walking by Karen Kingsbury

This is the first in a new series from Kingsbury and it is a great beginning.

The “angels walking” refers to angels on assignment on earth, walking among the people, subtly helping them to move in the direction God desires. This novel is about Tyler, a very talented pitcher in Little League and high school. His parents want him to go to college on a baseball scholarship but when he is drafted from high school, he takes that route. He leaves behind parents he has alienated and a girlfriend, Sami, who fervently believes in him.

Tyler gets in trouble working his way up through the minors. Then he suffers a career-ending injury not covered by team insurance. Homeless and nearly broke, he lands a job at a retirement home. It is exactly where God wants him to be. There he meets a woman with Alzheimer's. A woman who thinks he is her son. Her unconditional love changes Tyler's life.

There is great interest in the supernatural now. Current novels usually cover the dark side. Kingsbury gives us a glimpse of the light side of the supernatural, the very real world of angels. Hebrews 13:2 tells us we might meet angels and be totally unaware of it. That's exactly what happens in this novel. Angels look like humans when they bring the right message at the right time. Kingsbury wants us to be more aware of God's fingerprint on our lives.

Besides the importance of the action of angels, other issues are included. One is really living life. At one point Sami and her roommate go to the beach to boogie board the waves. “Look at you, Sami Dawson!” her roommate says. “You're learning to live!” Life is too short to settle for less than what God has in mind for us.

Other issues include parental approval and perfection. Tyler's father really drove Tyler to excel in baseball. Tyler tried hard to be perfect on the mound to get his father's approval. It is quite a revelation when Tyler comes to realize he is loved even in his imperfection.

This series is off to a great start. We are reminded of the reality of angels and their actions on our behalf. We are also reminded of the power and necessity of prayer. I highly recommend this novel.

Karen Kingsbury is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She has written more than fifty novels with nearly twenty million of her books in print. You can find out more about her at www.KarenKingsbury.com.

Howard Books, 384 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.