Wisdom to Know: Volume 1 (Grant Us Grace) Paperback – 3 Mar. 2016

This book is deeply moving, and a wonderful story of forgiveness. One of the most difficult thing to do is to forgive yourself. Forgiving others is easier because you can usually justify that. Lydia has a lot to learn and, after making the mistake of allowing herself to believe a seducer, finding herself pregnant and having an abortion, can't forgive herself. This story is deep and insightful giving hope to every penitent as well as a very interesting read.

This book is well written, gripping and solid in its inclusion of God in such a natural way. I won't spoil the ending although I'm tempted. The story may be useful someday with a friend. I do slightly question that Lydia was only tempted to back slide the once and also was not hooked up with a support group after rehab.

Like this book very much, hard to put diwny

Wisdom To Know by Elizabeth Maddrey is a gritty Christian story that doesn't shy away from the world and it's problems, and I was blessed to receive a copy.Lydia is the daughter of a pastor. She has three perfect sisters and parents who love her. Kevin is her best friend and he has loved Lydia for years. Lydia has never felt herself 'good enough' for Kevin.Lydia has had a series of boyfriends. Brad, her latest, has let her believe that they will be engaged when he can afford a ring. Then Lydia finds out that Brad is cheating on her. Worse follows, she is pregnant. Lydia tries to deal with her 'problem' alone, and following an abortion, Lydia's life enters a downward spiral. In case you think that I have just revealed the plot - I haven't - as all this happens in the first few pages and there are two hundred more pages to follow! More information than this can be found by reading the blurb on the back of the novel.Elizabeth Maddrey is fast becoming my favourite author. She writes about real, flawed people, who make mistakes and have to deal with the consequences. And her leading characters, inspite of their flaws are always likeable, and I find myself rooting for them to overcome their problems.One of the themes of the book is self reliance and isolation. As Lydia tries to deal with her 'mistake' alone, so her life spins out of control. She believes that her sin separates her from God, and she has totally forgotten about grace.God's grace is a theme running throughout the novel. Lydia is not the only character in need of God's grace. The novel reminds the reader that we all need His grace, and that sin is sin. There is no such thing as 'big' sin or 'little' sin. If we are out of line with God's standard, then it is all sin.The novel shows the importance of families - both the blood family and the wider Christian family. In times of crisis, families must pull together. Love is what ultimately unites us all. And whilst reading Wisdom To Know, the reader cannot help but recall 1 Corinthians 13, which talks about the power of love and how it 'endures all things.'Whilst reading the novel I was also reminded of Jesus' words, 'let him who is without sin, cast the first stone.' And this links together with the theme of forgiveness, which must be given out. To withhold forgiveness is damaging to the individual, and we must forgive because Jesus forgives us. Lydia in the early part of the novel seems to be stoning the face in the mirror. She must learn to forgive herself and accept God's forgiveness, or she will crumble under the weight of her own condemnation.Wisdom To Know is an incredibly powerful book, dealing with a difficult subject sensitively. To say that I 'enjoyed' reading it, seems to make light of the subject. So I won't say that - but I will say that I do love Elizabeth Maddrey's novels, as she does not shy away from difficult subjects that have the power to damage lives. I always find that once I pick up one of her novels, I become totally engrossed, and just cannot put it down!