Father's Friend
Father's Friend is available in both print and ebook formats at these retailers:
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Father's Friend
A linked novel to the Father series
Although this linked novel may be read before or after reading the Father series, it is the author's opinion that reading it afterward gives a greater impact.
Long before she became a famous, chart-topping recording artist, Meredith Clark was brutally wounded, insecure, and lonely; part little girl, part fragile woman. Just as she had fled a traumatic situation as a scared sixteen-year-old, she once again sought to put miles between herself and an abusive relationship. Piling everything she owned into her car, and stealing away from New Orleans in the middle of the night, she headed anywhere north, as quickly as possible.
Only making it as far as Grayson, a tiny northern Louisiana town nestled in Caldwell Parish, a blown-out tire and no usable spare put the frantic nineteen-year-old at the mercy of strangers, who not only took her in for the night, but insisted she stay with them in their home for as long as she needed to, while she rested and worked through her ordeal. It was here that Meredith, who had never known her father and who lost her mother when she was only a child, discovered what it was like to belong to a real family. It was here that she found that she could still laugh, that she could cry the kind of tears that brought healing, that she could share the gift of music with a nine-year-old little girl who loved her as much as if she were her own sister. It was here that Meredith met Father.
Father's Friend, although not part of the Father Series, which is comprised of Father's Choice, Father's Wings, and Father's Song, is a linked novel that takes the reader back to the beginning and peels back the layers of who Meredith Clark really is. It allows us to understand how someone who is her own deepest hiding place is able to reluctantly venture out into the open, while desperately clinging tightly to her Father's hand. She is slow to heal, slow to trust, slow to confide, but the music Father breathed into her has a life all its own and is stronger than Meredith's desire to remain hidden. She eventually braves the return to her childhood home, where those who frightened her are no longer a threat. What awaits her there will bring about circumstances that are used by her loving Father to lead her to her calling, to her purpose, and to love.
Although Meredith maintains a tough exterior and brandishes a dry and sometimes caustic wit, along with a sharp tongue, Father sees through it all, and will one day bring a man into her life who sees what He sees.
Julia Wilson Christian BookaholicFather's Friend by Rhonda Hanson is a powerful contemporary Christian novel and the fourth book in the Father series. This is the back story of lead character Meredith and can be read as either the first or final book. I read it last, as recommended by the author.
We hear of the time starting from Meredith aged nineteen when she knew about God but didn't actually know Him. We see the beginning of her friendship with God. We 'hear' their conversations. "When you just want to sit and visit with Me. That's My favourite kind of prayer, because it means you just want to spend time with Me." God delights when we just want to sit at His feet. As Meredith grows in her faith, she wants to spend time with God. "If He wants to talk to me, I want to listen." Meredith realizes the importance of listening when God speaks. When we have decisions to make, it is wise to consult God in prayer. "Can I pray about it?"
God gives us gifts. Our gifts bless us and we, in turn, bless others. "God had given music to her to be used for Him and to bless others." God uses music to speak to hearts. "God was speaking to them through her music." We can trust God with our lives. "He asked her to be obedient and to trust Him." God is with us through all our seasons of life, whether we can 'feel' Him or not. "You're worried you won't land safely… But I'll catch you."
There will be tough times in life – but God has promised to never leave us. It is God who turns our messes into masterpieces. "God was going to make something beautiful come out of those ashes." All the characters are well drawn, likable and realistic. I loved the inclusion of Hook, a big, beautiful, rescued cat.
Rhonda Hanson has written a wonderful series of four books. She hasn't presented a perfect world but has presented characters and situations that we can identify with. Life can be messy. Life can be hard. But life is beautiful when you walk in tandem with God.
I will leave you with my favourite quote:
"God loves us into His kingdom. He doesn't scare us into it."
Father's Song was another cracking offering from Rhonda Hanson.
