Summary

Jayne has been hiding from her past. In fact, she thought she'd escaped from it. But, when her friend, Tom, asks her to marry him, he unwittingly opens her personal Pandora's Box, and now she can't seem to close the lid on all that rushes out at her, whirling her into a cycle of self-sabotage. Unable to commit to a relationship, she pushes Tom away...along with everything else that's important in her life. The challenge she faces is to break free of the past, sort out the present and build herself a future. What she needs is a healing so powerful it will give her hope. She finds help in an unexpected way from someone she has to learn to trust. But, since trust is one of her major issues, can she let this stranger open the lid of the past wider in order to face her fears and overcome them? And, when she feels ready to commit, will Tom still be waiting?

Review

The heart of every story to me has to be the depth of the characters who bring the story to life. Such the testament to that from Flying Free by Christine Campbell, we are introduced to one, whose story any reader would crave. Engaging, drawing you in from the beginning, when you come across one such as the character Jayne, whose strength and resilience derived from the depth of a broken spirit, emotionally and physically, the book takes a life on its own that makes you not want to put it down.

Jayne represents the kind of character that for so many women out there would find such strength and inspiration from. Flying Free, is the type of book that I encourage women to read, not only because I think the story draws you in emotionally but perhaps either Jayne represents your own struggle or someone you know whose experience also can be interchangeable, the evolution of her character evokes inspiration knowing that beyond the depth of despair and abuse that claimed her innocence and self-worth, hope and resolution can be born.

As a reader, looking into this book, there is a tangible attachment that you yearn to seek. There is something about her that you want to embrace and when she gives up, you want to fight for her. Such a wonderful storyteller, Campbell’s gift with developing beautiful relationships between characters and bringing to life such a sensitive transition for this character, makes you want to invest in her journey to heal. You can’t help but root for a character who has gone through as much as she has to get to a place of resolution in a life that hasn't been fair.

This book takes on a literal connotation that is so liberating in the sense that she is someone bound and chained by a life that has suffocated her ability to live a functional and productive one. People come into your life for a reason, so when that happens to her, a great subplot by the way, we get to see her learn how to fly free. This is definitely one that I will recommend. If you haven’t read anything by Campbell yet, this I feel is her best novel so far.

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

Paperback: 328 pages
Publisher: FeedaRead.com (January 15, 2014)

Amazon

Barnes and Noble