Before I Say Goodbye by Rachel Ann Nunes

Wow ... this is an excellent book. Rachel Nunes has an incredible grasp of expressing the thoughts of her main characters. I felt like I could connect with each one of her POV characters, even though they seemed to all have the same intuitive voice. I liked the way she changed POV with simple character titles, and I came not only to expect to get back into their heads, but to look forward to it. Nunes tells the story of a 40ish age woman named Rikki who spent most of her life away from the Church only to mysteriously return to the ward she grew up in and the man who is now a Bishop of that ward and happily married. It is a story of her struggle to believe in a God she was sure didn't exist due to the hardships she faced, and her subsequent growth and understanding that He does love her regardless of her past choices. We hear the story through four characters; Rikki; Dante - the Bishop; Dante's wife Becca; and Rikki's oldest child, a daughter named Kyle. Nunes expertly takes us through Rikki's intrusion back into Dante's life and the fear, insecurities, and ultimate triumphs that come along with it. It was a story that tore my heart out slowly to only replace it with the hope and peace that only the gospel and true friends can bring. I highly recommend this heartwarming and intuitive book.

Rachel Ann Nunes (pronounced noon-esh) learned to read when
she was four, beginning a lifelong fascination with the written
word. She began writing in the seventh grade and is now the author
of more than thirty published books, including the popular Ariana
series and the award-winning picture book Daughter of a King.
Rachel and her husband, TJ, have seven children. She loves
camping with her family, traveling, meeting new people, and, of
course, writing. She writes Monday through Friday in her home
office, taking frequent breaks to take care of kids or go swimming
with them.

Rachel loves hearing from her readers. You can write to her at
Rachel@RachelAnnNunes.com. To enjoy her monthly newsletter
or to sign up to hear about new releases, visit her website, www
.RachelAnnNunes.com.