I expect two things from a Michele Phoenix book, though granted this is based on having only read last year's Of Stillness and Storm, gorgeous prose and a compelling story. The Space Between Words has both in spades.

Having survived a terror attack in a Paris club, American tourists Jessica and Patrick make their way to a B&B in the country. As the narrator, we see this through Jessica's eyes as they go picking, what Patrick calls digging for gold, and find an antique sewing box that leads to a bit of a mystery.

With the assistance of the family that runs the B&B, Jessica works to understand the journal pages discovered in the box as well as discover the fate of Adeline Baillard and her family. It is through and because of the journal that Jessica learns about the persecution of the Huguenots in 17th century France and begins to identify her own ability to more than just survive with uncovering the survival of the Baillards.

This is a novel that engaged my heart as well as my intellect. Immersive, devastating, and ultimately hopeful, both the pursuit to find the ultimate fate of Adeline Baillard's family and Jessica's post trauma experiences all add up to what will, as with Phoenix's previous novel, likely be one of my most powerful reads this year.

This review refers to a finished copy I voluntarily received through Thomas Nelson and Zondervan's Fiction Guild. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'm bordering on speechless as I grapple for words to explain the impact this book had on me. It's left me feeling raw and exposed, like my nerve endings are all on high alert and I can't quite settle the rapid beating of my heart. Because Jessica's journey is powerful and emotional and ultimately triumphant. It's full of unexpected twists. There was one startling moment when I gasped out loud and had to put the book down. What just happened? I read and reread until understanding seeped into my heart. And then I got goosebumps.

This is the kind of book that is impossible to describe. I can tell you it's about a 21st century woman who goes on a quest to discover what happened to a persecuted Huguenot family centuries ago. I can tell you that in the process Jessica finds the missing pieces of herself. What I can't tell you is how exceptionally moving that story is. Phoenix is such a gifted storyteller. Sometimes the beauty in her words is almost unbearable. And the takeaways are astounding.

"God layers good over bad." (p 239)

"Though our lives have been dismantled by the cruelty of man, God in his faithfulness has scattered flecks of gold amid the debris of our loss." (p 123)

This is the kind of indefinable treasure meant to be savored not just during the read but for a long time afterwards.

I wasnt sure what to expect when I started reading this but was soon caught up in a beautifully written story that can be hard to digest at points. I was intrigued by the history of the Huguenots and hung on every word that told Adelines story. Im almost at a loss for words in describing this novel, as it has such depth and layers, like peeling the layers of an onion. I love the phrase, the layering of light over darkness. This is a book you dont want to pass up and will not want to put down.

I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction Guild. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.

The Space Between Us by Michele Phoenix is a brilliantly written novel about hope shining through deep tragedy. Jessica survives the terror attack in a Paris concert. When she awakes, her sense of reality is blurred by the tragedy and she finds pages written by a young girl in the past as she professed her faith even during Huguenot persecution. Jessica goes on a journey to trace this young girls steps and in the process, she begins her own journey of healing. This book was well written and I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I liked it! It has at least one sort of shocking moment, lots of history (mainly of the Hugenots, which I find interesting), great characters, a little romance, and hope (and who wants to read a hopeless book, right?). I enjoyed this book. Thanks Michle.

I received this book from the Fiction Guild exchange for an honest review. I was in no way required to give a favorable review.