Contingency by Paula Wiseman

Where was God? Bobbi Molinsky's comfortable life is shattered when a forwarded email from her husband's account lands in her inbox. The email teases, "My whole evening is free again." After an angry confrontation with Chuck, she is left with the broken remains of an eighteen year marriage. Where is God? Bobbi agrees forgiving Chuck is the right thing, the God-honoring thing to do, but it leaves her empty and isolated. Teaching her second-graders is a burden. Taking care of her boys saps all her energy. It seems God Himself has walked away, leaving her to struggle alone. Is God faithful? Bobbi can't deny the transformation in Chuck, but genuine forgiveness requires trust, and trust is a risk she's not willing to take. Can she let go of her deepest, most primal fears and save her marriage?

I Give This Book: 5 Stars


My Thoughts:
'Contingency' is a fantastic novel! The pages just flew by and before I knew it I had reached the end. The story is about Chuck's infidelity, how his wife, Bobbi, found out about it and how they are trying to mend their family.

I thought the book dealt with the issue of adultery very well. It showed the anguish that the person who was cheated on went through and all the other issues that this one sin caused. It showed how it wasn't just Bobbi and Chuck that were affected by the infidelity, but their children, extended family, coworkers and their church family too.

I thought that Rita, Bobbi's sister, was a person that voiced what I think almost everyone in that situation would be feeling, and I think that by her voicing her opinion of Chuck, it forced Bobbi to defend him, even though she didn't feel like it. It helped her to remember all the good things about him, but that isn't enough to mend a relationship.

Bobbi lays out a list of things that she wants Chuck to do, some of them she is sure he won't do, one of them being to go to counseling by himself and then that they go together when their pastor, who is also the counselor, says it's time for that.

Chuck began to do almost everthing on her list, but Bobbi still wasn't sure that she could trust Chuck again. The rift was large and trust once given so easily is hard to get back - if it is ever possible to trust someone again after a hurt like that.

'Contingecy' was a very moving story and is a book that I plan to read again. I can't wait to start the next book, which from the preview at the end of this book sounds just as good, if not better, than this book. I highly recommend 'Contingency'! I especially think that this book should be required reading for anyone thinking about divorce.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book through LibraryThing. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***
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