The Familiar Stranger

Craig Littleton's decision to end his marriage would shock his wife, Denise . . . if she knew what he was up to. When an accident lands Craig in the ICU, with fuzzy memories of his own life and plans, Denise rushes to his side, ready to care for him.

They embark on a quest to help Craig remember who he is and, in the process, they discover dark secrets. An affair? An emptied bank account? A hidden identity? An illegitimate child?

But what will she do when she realizes he's not the man she thought he was? Is this trauma a blessing in disguise, a chance for a fresh start? Or will his secrets destroy the life they built together?
 

8 of 13 Reviews Showing:(View All Reviews)

This book grabs you from the first page! The voice shifting between Craig and Denise brings a unique and surprisingly refreshing perspective. Christina has excellent insight on both sides of an issue, the woman's and the man's. Between some fantastic lines that are still imprinted in my mind and the unpredictable twists throughout, this is a great read. Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you're wondering what book to order, this one's a sure bet- I highly recommend it!

What an amazing debut novel for Christina Berry! In a word – captivating! From the beginning I was drawn into the intrigue of where this story was going. Christina exhibits skill in showing the point of view of both Craig and Denise whose marriage has grown stale and troubled. Then Craig is critically injured and a mysterious man is killed. It’s a love story, one of astonishing grace by a wife who stands by her husband even when faced with jarring evidence that he’s not the man she thought he was. It’s also a mystery that unfolds one layer at a time into a resonant and satisfying resolution. I really liked this story because of its unique approach and writing that wasn’t overdone or clichéd. Christina’s straightforward storytelling pulled me in and kept me turning the pages. My husband echoed my sentiments after reading the book. Highly recommended for both male and female readers.

Loved the Familiar Stranger! The story has all the twists and turns of a classic mystery but with the added dimension of what only God can do.

Denise Littleton is struggling to hold her marriage together, and doesn’t realize that her husband Craig has some dark secrets and sinister plans. She is wavering between suspicion and desperate hope when she gets a phone call at church that changes her life. She rushes to care for her injured husband but constant mysteries and revelations make new suspicions arise including whether his amnesia is real or a convenient alibi. But this is not just Denise’s story. I particularly enjoyed the male and female perspectives through the dual first-person storylines. As the invalid recovers, choices of trust and forgiveness are faced. Just as in the real-life events upon which Ms. Berry based her story, the shocking events and choices ripple out to affect family and community members as well as the Littleton marriage. A haunting well-written drama with excellent takeaway for troubled relationships.

Love … Betrayal … Forgiveness … Restoration. When Craig Littleton leaves his home, he plans to never return, to abandon his wife and sons in pursuit of freedom. And his detailed plans are foolproof. But, as he literally drives on the road toward liberty, he’s involved in a severe accident. He lives, but all his memories are gone. His wife, Denise, unaware of his plans to desert the family, nurses him back to health, and he learns to love her again. But then, his memories come tumbling back … Will he be able to restore all the lives he broke before the accident? *** In the tradition of Francine Rivers, debut author, Christina Berry, delivers an impactful story of love, betrayal, forgiveness, & new beginnings. Her unique method of telling the story from both Denise’s and Craig’s point-of-view adds dimension to the characters, & depth to the emotions. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

2009 has been a year of some wonderful debut novels, and Christina Berry has penned one of the best. A work of women’s fiction, The Familiar Stranger’s complex plot is filled with the twists and red herrings of an Agatha Christie mystery. The answer came so far out of left field, Agatha wouldn’t have predicted it. Engaging characters, cunning, and quicksilver emotions add up to a story that held me hostage, spellbound to the end. Novel Journey/Reviews and I give it our highest recommendation.

"The Familiar Stranger" is a contemporary Christian fiction novel. I'm sure many people would thoroughly enjoy the novel. The characters were sympathetic enough characters, but the only ones I really bonded with were the kids. This may partly be because I've never seriously dated or been married or had a loved one in a bad accident so I couldn't personally relate to the stress the adults were going through. The world-building was okay, and the pacing was very good. In the first half of the novel, a noticeable about of dialogue (including inner dialogue) felt unnatural to me--and I'm not talking about when awkward dialogue might be expected. In the second half, though, this problem disappeared and the writing was excellent. The reason I didn't fully enjoy this novel is that there were two serious logic problems, one behind the events that led to the accident and one behind the subsequent confusion. Without these events, the story falls apart and would never happen. That kind of ruined it for me. The characters were Christians living out their faith. The novel wasn't preachy, but there was a large amount of God-talk and praying. Non-Christians probably wouldn't enjoy this book. There was no sex and no bad language. If you overlook the logic problems, it's a good, enjoyable book. Overall, I'd rate it as good, clean reading.

I read this book straight through. A great debut novel, I'm looking forward to her next. Denise knows her marriage has gone cold, but when she receives a call that her husband has been in an accident, everything turns topsy-turvy. As if broken limbs, road burns, and skin grafts aren't enough, when he comes out of his coma, he doesn't remember anything, not her, not their sons, nothing. Even as she and Craig begin to establish a new relationship, secrets from his past crop up. And just when she thinks that she's forgiven him everything, and they are starting to establish a new and better love for each other, she finds out more. I loved this book, especially when she had come to a standstill in the forgiving department and the pastor says, "Right now you're acting like the judge, stamping GUILTY on each page of Craig's life. Maybe it's time you change your stamp." You'll love the surprise ending. Totally satisfying.

View all 13 Reviews

• Books
• Books >> Fiction
• Books >> Fiction >> Contemporary
• Books >> Fiction >> Contemporary >> Women's Fiction
• Fiction
• Fiction >> Contemporary
• Fiction >> Contemporary >> Women's Fiction
• Start A New Christianbook.com Search