Book Review: NOURISH & STRENGTHEN

Book Summary:

Taylor has the perfect life: a model’s figure, a husband who adores her, three healthy children. So why does she feel so much less than perfect?

After losing forty pounds, Chloe Taylor is finally happy with her body. What she doesn’t realize is that she’s not the one in control.

When Chloe is called as the Primary president, she discovers that managing the highs and lows of a chronic illness may be easier than the ups and downs associated with family, friends, and church callings. Consumed by her own challenges, Chloe fails to recognize the issues her friends are facing and is in danger of losing their friendship.

As Chloe strives to develop Christ-like love for herself and those around her, she learns that outer appearances are far less important than inner peace and spiritual strength. But is she strong enough to face her most difficult trial yet?


Book Review

Before reading Maria Hoagland's NOURISH & STRENGTHEN, I thought I understood diabetes. Boy, was I wrong. And even though there's a young man in my ward whose diabetes forced him home early from his mission--and in and out of the hospital several times since--I still didn't "get it" because I've never been close enough to a diabetic to really know what it's like. However, after reading NOURISH & STRENGTHEN, I finally understand the daily struggle, the up and down in mind and body, the constant carb counting, the pricking, the worry, the guilt, the stress--especially when combined with the usual stressors in life.

My mother tells me that as a little girl, she was once snuggled up in bed and overheard her mother and an aunt sharing horror stories regarding diabetes. Of course many of those stories contained inaccuracies, given the time period, except the last one. That story detailed the tragedy of a family friend whose purse was stolen containing her insulin and, without her insulin, she died. In NOURISH & STRENGTHEN, the protagonist Chloe Taylor almost dies when she misjudges her insulin need. For me, it was gripping, and only made me love and appreciate Maria's characters all the more.

What I learned from NOURISH & STRENGTHEN is that diabetes is a dangerous disease that requires almost 99% attention. Until I read Maria's book, I didn't understand the full mechanics behind insulin. But, through Chloe's eyes, I learned exactly what it's like to live a type 2 diabetic life, then an adult-onset type 1 diabetic life requiring insulin. From that point on, I experienced each up and down in Chloe's life while dealing with not only her diabetes, but with relationships, responsibilities, trials, spirituality, plus TWO type 1 diabetic immediate family members.

As characters, Chloe and her family seemed real to me, causing me to want a sequel. In addition, friends of the family weren't written with flat characterization but each one revealed dynamic character traits, making it easy to keep so many names straight. Plot structure was tight with identifiable ups and downs, obstacles and reversals. Settings were beautifully written--as was the entire book--and there was an appropriate balance between action, dialogue, emotion, and description. Maria wrote using interesting vocabulary and honest expression, which served as a hook to keep me engaged in her characters as they dealt with everyday life.

While it is true that NOURISH & STRENGTHEN is an LDS women's novel, I believe women of all faiths will benefit from the strength and courage shown by Chloe as she faces diabetes, as well as the other hurdles of her life.


About the Author



Author of Nourish & Strengthen. Writer of LDS Women's Fiction. Long distance runner. Type 1 diabetic. Oboe player. Algebra tutor. Lucky wife. Mom of three. Resident of Texas. Loves soft green grass, a breeze in the trees, and a good book.


Added Information

http://mariahoagland.blogspot.com/
Smashwords for all eBook versions: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93675
Createspace for paperback version: https://www.createspace.com/3647471
Amazon where the book is in paperback and Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Nourish-Strengthen-ebook/dp/B005Y57BBW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1319655788&sr=8-2


I received a copy of this novel from the author for review, but this did not influence my comments.