Beautiful Star of Bethlehem by Lori Copeland

This was a bit of a disturbing novella for me. Rather than being a lighthearted experience, I found it very serious and a little depressing.

The story begins with a shock. A very loving couple experiences a plane crash as they are on their way to see their first granddaughter. Arlene receives brain damage and is taken to a care facility by her sons. The rest of the novella is pretty much her experiences in the facility.

There are sad moments and less sad moments. There are some moments that could be funny except that in the context of the story and the care facility, I just did not think them funny. Arlene's brain injury results in her not knowing her sons nor her granddaughter. She had not been told that her husband had died. She thinks he is just on a business trip and will return shortly. That was just heartbreaking to read about.

All that being said, there are some moving scenes in the book. There is an odd friendship between Arlene and a few of the other residents. Even in her debilitated mental state, Arlene still dispenses some wisdom and love to others and that was sweet. And the end is very rewarding.

Maybe young people would like this novella. For a senior citizen like me, it was mostly depressing, perhaps too close to home. I've seen too many people I know go into those kinds of facilities and, like Arlene, not really be very happy.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

Lori Copeland began writing for the secular market in 1982. In 1995, she sensed God calling her to honor Him with her gift and began writing for the Christian market. She is the author of more than 100 titles with more than 3 million copies in print. She and her husband live in the Ozarks. You can find out more at http://www.loricopeland.com/

Barbour Publishing, 192 pages.

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