A Review: Dear. Mr. Knightley

It is seldom I read Christian fiction and am blown away.

Oh I'll think it is "good enough." It was adequate. It kept me semi-interested.

But outside of Francine Rivers (and occasionally Karen Kingsbury), I usually find the read subpar in comparison to non-Christian titles.

And then came Dear Mr. Knightley.

I ... loved ... this ... book.

Seriously, I am grieving the fact that it is over. Wishing I would know more. Wanting to be able to read it way too late into the night again this evening.

This was Katherine Reay's first novel, and if I had to guess, it will be one of  many. I truly did not know what to think when I started this book. And even fifty pages in, I had my doubts. But within a few chapters, I was incredibly hooked, enthralled with the characters, and completely wrapped up in the life of Samantha Moore.

Samantha Moore is a lost child raised in foster and youth homes. But a chance has come her way. She can attend grad school via an anonymous benefactor if she agrees to write him letters throughout the course of her studies.

Thus her letters -- entitled Dear Mr. Knightley.

She agrees and what follows is an incredibly poignant story of love, family, and not being afraid to trust others.

My only complaint about the story was Samantha's protection mechanism of using characters she reads in books as a way of deflecting questions or uncomfortable situations. I am an English writing major and taught high school English. However, the references and quotations to famous authors like Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and C.S. Lewis can get a tad overwhelming and even old.

Outside of that one small factor, something that can easily be overlooked, I cannot recommend this book enough. Seriously. It was outstanding. What I especially loved about it was that while a Christian book, the message was comfortable enough to easily be a good read for someone who is not a Christian as well.

Delightful. Outstanding. Strongly recommended.

Read it! You'll love. I promise.

Booksneeze has provided me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.