Today I'm reviewing The Feathered Bone by Julie Cantrell. I have to admit this isn't a typical read for me and probably not a book I would have chosen for myself. I was given a copy from the Fiction Guild in exchange for an honest review. After reading it I will admit I liked it and I am glad that I got to read it. I should warn you though, this book needs to come with a warning label "You will go through a whole box of Kleenex before you reach the end".
In the Feathered Bone we get to follow three friends Amanda, Beth and Raelynn as they navigate life in Louisiana. Even their kids are friends which sounds corny but it isn't. You can feel the love between both sets of friends, so much so that they don't feel like friends they feel like family. Sarah and Ellie, Beth and Amanda's daughters respectively, are often mistaken for sisters.
The Girls as I like to call them are chaperoning their kids field trip to New Orleans when tragedy strikes. As they board the bus to head home a head count reveals they are one short. They race around looking for her sure that it is a mistake and maybe she is still in the restroom. It isn't long before they discover the tragedy is real and Sarah has just vanished.
I loved how the author described New Orleans as well as other parts of Louisiana. You can picture yourself walking down the streets enjoying the sites and smells. You can picture Cafe du Mode and smell the beignets. You can picture the tourist and locals alike getting dressed up and ready for Halloween. I also love how real the characters were. I felt like I knew them and I found myself rooting for them to over come the grief and find Sarah. Except Carl, I didn't like him from the moment he was introduced. He was malicious, callous and down right hateful at times. I just didn't understand how Amanda the sweet social worker who would help anybody ended up with such a toad!
Cantrell also addresses some heavy topics in the book sex trafficking, divorce, and your faith being tested to name a few. These are all serious topics but she managed to address them in a very human and caring way. She was very tactful in her approach and honestly in some parts I just wept openly. Human trafficking is very real and it just breaks my heart to even contemplate what these sweet innocent people go through. She gives details without going to far.
Would your faith stand the test if your child were kidnapped? Would you be able to find comfort in God and continue to believe even years down the road that God has your best interest at heart and He hasn't left your side? I questioned my own faith reading this book. I felt like I had an insiders look at what happens when a child goes missing and let me tell you, I just don't know. I'd love to believe my faith would hold out and offer me comfort through such a horrific deal but I don't think anyone really knows until they experience it.
On top of trying to locate a missing Sarah, Amanda and Carl have marriage trouble. I have to admit I wasn't rooting for them to make it. He was abusive even if it wasn't physical and I couldn't for the life of me understand why she didn't see it, especially with her being a social worker. Like most victims she tends to make excuses and try to apologize for his often extremely rude behavior. I was rooting for her just not him. I tried and I tried but I could never find it in myself to like Carl.
This is a great read but it isn't for everybody. I'm glad I read it and I will definitely recommend it to others and when I do I will have a box of Kleenex ready. If you're looking for a great book that will make you laugh, cry, and think then I hope you give The Feathered Bone a try.
The Feathered Bone
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