In the touching novel Speak Through the Wind, author Allison Pittman retells the story of the prodigal child with a new twist. As a young girl, Kassandra is swept off the streets and taken in by a kind preacher who rears her in his home. When romance turns her head, she abandons that kindness in search of something more. Falling deeper and deeper into the pits of the world, she discovers that life away from her home is not all that she expected, and she wonders if it is too late to go back. Further tragedy strikes and the fragile walls Kassandra has constructed for her life crumble around her, but she ultimately learns that though she was drifting away from God, He was always waiting to forgive her and show her the love she had been seeking all along.
Finding herself abandoned as a small child, young Kassandra quickly learns what it means to survive on the streets of New York City in 1841. When an accident leaves her seriously wounded, only the care of Reverend Joseph Hartmann can save her fragile life. He takes her in and provides her with a comfortable home, teaching her about Gods word and the hope she can have in Christ. As a teenager, her innocent heart is stolen by a young Irish man named Ben, who leads her on a whirlwind romance and convinces her to run away with him. Young love quickly turns into disaster as Kassandra discovers Bens world is not like she imagined. Lost in an arena of violence, deceit, and eventually prostitution, Kassandra believes that she has gone too far and that her Father will never forgive her. Her decisions continue to lead her farther from her home and her Lord, and though hope is offered for a short period of time, the reader wonders, too, whether she will return home or if she is lost forever.
Speak Through the Wind begins at a quick pace, moving persistently, and spending little time on background information. However, as the story progresses, the plot occasionally stalls. In two instances, it seemed that the author was unsure of where to take the storyline, and the main character became stuck in one spot for several chapters. This made continuing with the story difficult; however, there are redeeming sections of the novel that pull the reader back. In particular, there is a moment of hope that seems to create a happy ending for all involved. Unfortunately, the main characters choices disappoint the reader again and prolong her own suffering.
The strength of this novel lies in the authors ability to create a realistic and dramatic environment that grabs the readers attention. However, Pittman fails to maintain that realism with her characters. Perhaps Kassandras naiveté is believable when she is living in the Reverends home, but after she has worked several years as a prostitute, it becomes unconvincing. Reverend Joseph also possesses a character flaw: unbelievable perfection. He is always the redeemer for others, but never seems to need forgiveness himself. The final blemish of the novel is the incredibly abrupt ending which could leave some readers searching for more.
Overall, Speak Through the Wind book is not light summer reading, but an insightful piece dealing with the endless battle of sin and forgiveness. Nicole Miller, Christian Book Previews.com