For the first installment of Christian Reads, we read Colleen Coble’s Because You’re Mine. This story follows Alanna, a singer and violinist in an Irish Celtic band, as she navigates her new life.
Early in the book we find out that Alanna and her husband
Liam, the drummer of the Celtic band, are expecting their first child together.
While on tour with the band in the United States, misfortune finds them. When
Liam goes for a drive with his friend Jesse, a bomb goes off in the car killing
Liam and seriously injuring Jesse. When Alanna goes home to have Liam’s
funeral, she sees his parents to tell them the news that she is expecting their
child. Liam’s parents unapproved of his marriage to Alanna from the beginning.
Liam’s parents were rich, his father Thomas is a member of the upper house of
the Irish Legislature, an Oireachtas Senator. On learning that Alanna was
pregnant with Liam’s only child they wished to raise it as their own, threatening
to gain custody if Alanna didn’t move into their residence. Barry, a lawyer
from Charleston, acts as their manager while the band tours in the United
States, offers to marry Alanna. Their marriage being one of convenience in order
to help stop Thomas from coming after the baby. We soon find out that Barry isn’t
all that he seems to be. The family home isn’t ready nor is it entirely livable.
The studio Barry promised the band, wasn’t ready or even started. A shock comes
to Alanna as there is a portrait of a lady in the family home who looks an
awful lot like her.
As the band needs a new drummer, Jesse seems to have taken
an interest to doing the drumming for them. Meanwhile, the detectives are
wondering if Jesse was the one to set off the car bomb. Jesse has no real memory
of his life before the accident. Alanna becomes worried as Jesse exhibits mannerisms
of Liam. Tensions rise between Alanna, Berry, the band, and Jesse, making the story
all the more interesting. Wrapping the story in a shroud of mystery.
There were some parts of the book that landed on the “I saw
that coming” part of the book but the book was mostly something I did not see
coming, especially the ending. The book has a very under toned Christian feel
to it. Alanna struggles with her faith after the death of Liam, although because
Liam relied heavily on his faith, she uses it as a reason to keep trying. As
she finds herself restless in her faith, Alanna leans on Psalm 139 to help her
through the time when she finds she is in the thick of the confusion of her new
surroundings. Because You’re Mine was
thoroughly enjoyable and a surprise of a read. The hints of the social
differences between the Travelers, Alanna’s background, and the more well-off
families such as Liam’s family or Barry’s, made for a story that is relevant regardless
of the time frame. As socioeconomic backgrounds and conditions are still
relevant in today’s world It’s how we handle those differences that make us
really who we are. That idealism is echoed in the voices of the other band
members when they find out that Alanna comes from a family of Travelers.
For myself, I would read another Colleen Coble book. I
enjoyed the writing style and how she presented her story. It may be an author
that we visit down the line for another Christian Reads selection.
What Colleen Coble books have you read lately? If you have
any other Christian books that you would like to read with a book club, come to
the next meeting on November 20th. There we will be discussing Karen
Kingsbury’s A Distant Shore.
