A Time to Stand by Robert Whitlow

I'm a huge Robert Whitlow fan. I normally shy away from this genre of books, but I have absolutely loved every single book that I've read by him. My mom likes John Grisham and when I told her to read this book, she said he wrote very similar. I've converted a new reader!

A Time to Stand did a fantastic job balancing a topic that has become of conversation (and should) in our society. In A Time to Stand, a policeman of character find himself in a situation that he never dreamed. An African-American boy is in a coma after being shot by a white policeman. It's a small town so news of a "racist cop" shooting an African-American is the headliner in most conversations. Suddenely, the police officer finds himself in the line of fire and his family and his own life is threatened by the very same people he has spent his life trying to protect.

He's almost certain he heard a shot ring out before he shot, but maybe he really didn't. Maybe his mind played a trick on him....if only he could remember each moment clearly.

Adisa Johnson is a lawyer who lost her job and has come back to the small town in Georgia to help take care of her grandmother who raised her. Initially, she hears about this case and sides against the policeman. However, after some time, she begins to feel like she is supposed to help the police officer. This doesn't sit well in the small town that is full of racial tension.  Her community can't understand why she would help this white police officer. She can't explain it either, except she feels deep down that it's what she's supposed to do.

The truth eventually comes out, thanks to Adisa. A Time to Stand focuses on this small community and how things can look when we set aside our differences and love each other for who they are....no matter or race, language, etc. Let us all be people who stand for our friends of different races and fight for unity amongst each other.

_____________

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

The Choice by Robert Whitlow

I like John Grisham novels because he is a lawyer and you can tell that he approaches his stories from a lawyer point of view and can make the criminal side and courtroom seem so real.  I have seen the name "Robert Whitlow" on several books, but had never stopped to read his books because I knew nothing about him, and well...I have my favorites that I tend to always read.  Let's just say that I'm adding his name to the list because he writes in the style of John Grisham and in fact, he is a practicing attorney.  The knowledge that he has about his topics (in this book it is abortion) legally makes the book so intense and very informative.  I've already "dropped" his name to a few fellow John Grisham lovers.

Teen pregnancy hasn't always held the glamour that today's culture has made it.  Back in 1974, Sandy found herself pregnant and her boyfriend pressured her to have an abortion.  He told her that he loved her and that they could still get married, but they didn't need a baby interfering with their lives and their future plans.  When Sandy decided that she could in no way kill her baby through an abortion, he told her that it's either him or the baby.  Sandy chose the baby, which meant the now ex-boyfriend began his next move----dating other girls.

At that time, pregnant girls weren't allowed to be in school, so Sandy had to move to live with her aunt in Atlanta and go to a school that many juvenile delinquents and pregnant teens went to.  Sandy did well in school and made a friend, who was a fellow teen mom.  On one of her trips back to Atlanta, she stopped at a grocery store and a lady looked at her and told her that she would be having twins and that if they ever met each other, then one of them would be killed.  Knowing this prophecy, she looks into having two separate families adopt the twins and decides not to share with each family that their babies are twins.  That's a fact only a few people know.  It was the hardest thing she's ever had to do...to give up her babies...but she knew that it was for the best.

Fast forward to 30 years and Sandy finds herself helping a teenage girl.  Who knew that meeting her might change her life forever.  Faced with a life and death decision, Sandy has to make a quick decision.  Whatever did happen to her precious babies and did they ever meet?  Was the prophecy fulfilled, just as the old lady said it would be?

I think the thing that I loved most about this book was seeing how deliberate she was in the adoption process. She thought about her children, how often the father and mother would be home, and if they would be taught about the Lord at all.  You could tell she loved them so much that she tried to think of every detail because this was the only way she would ever be involved in their life.  I loved seeing her choices played out and her decisions as well as consequences.

____________________

I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.