Crossing Values by Carrie Daws

Crossing Values Book Description:

For years, Amber traipsed around the Northwest avoiding the skeletons in her closet. Job-hopping every few weeks, she refused to let anyone get close to her as she slowly made her way east. As winter plants itself firmly across the Rockies, she decides to take a chance on a job at a logging company with a family different from any she’s ever known before.

Watching the family interact creates more questions than answers for Amber. Feeling like she’s entered the happily-ever-after written at the end of fairytales, she watches for cracks in the facade. Surely as the days pass, the play-acting will cease and the real family will emerge. Is this family for real? Do they hold the answers that she’s been seeking for so long?

About the Author:

Over the years, God rewrote Carrie Daws’ dreams to include being a stay-at-home mom and a writer. Originally writing weekly devotionals as a way to share what she learned with women from various military bases, Carried decided to enroll in the Christian Writer’s Guild. While there, seeds were planted and cultivated.

After almost ten years in the military, Carrie’s husband medically retired and they now live in central North Carolina with their three children. Besides writing fiction novels, she stays busy homeschooling, working part time, and volunteering with two military ministries.

My Thoughts:

Crossing Values is a quick but powerful read. I love the fact that I could easily give this book to my daughter (age 13) to read and not be uncomfortable with anything in the book. I felt that the family who took in Amber had a genuine faith that they lived out in their lives which make the faith base for the book feel natural. The family bantering reminded me of fun family gatherings. Amber’s past taints the way that she views the world, and she struggles with some difficult questions about faith and God. The questions are ones that many of us often ask when something goes wrong in our lives.

**possible spoiler** I appreciated that fact that Amber’s budding relationship with Peter was built upon trust and friendship rather than focusing on the physical attraction. It was a breath of fresh air. I like that Daws felt it was important to focus on purity, healing from past hurts, faith, and family unity. Instead of having the hot and heavy romance that seems to be popular, Daws went against the tide and kept her book (and the relationships within) pure. The men in the book held each other accountable while the women within the family lifted each other up.

Crossing Values is a short book – only 160 pages. It has 25 chapters, but some of the chapters are only one page long. (I found that part a little odd.) Would I recommend this book? If you’re looking for a clean, inspiring book that won’t take a long time to read, then yes, this is the book for you. If you’re looking for a highly romantic, passionate book, this will not be the book for you. I personally enjoyed it and liked being able to get caught up in a beautiful story of faith, family, and friends. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series – Ryan’s Crossing.

Carrie Daws has a couple of freebies available to accompany the book on her website: 7 Day Devotional and Discussion Guide. You can connect with Carrie on Facebook and Twitter.

Book Details:

• Perfect Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Ambassador International (January 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935507923
• ISBN-13: 978-1935507925
• Available as paperback or on Kindle