Kim Cash Tate is a wonderful author of Christian fiction. Her characters are typically African American, but she chooses to emphasize their community in Christ - not skin color- a fact that has always made her books interesting to me. In order to understand the novel Cherished, you also need to have an understanding about the place the author is writing from...the message that resonates in her heart. To give you a little background, Kim Cash Tate is an African American woman. However, Tate considers herself 'Colored with Christ', and since coming to know Jesus as an adult has aligned herself with Christ first, before any skin color. This was a dramatic shift in the author's world view and she writes her novels with a firm belief that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, with a spiritual heritage that transcends any racial boundaries. I absolutely love this about all of her novels.
Cherished is the story of Heather Anderson and Kelli London's unlikely friendship. Both are young women who have distanced themselves from God after traumatic life events leave them broken. Weighed down by sin and guilt, Kelli abandons her first love- writing music that glorifies God. Heather, damaged by her own impure choices, longs for unconditional love. When Kelli and Heather come face to face with their past they find the hope and redemption they have been looking for.
I enjoyed reading this book and found that I could relate to many circumstances that the characters faced. I also appreciated the strong gospel message, particularly the emphasis on forgiveness and loving as Christ loves. Still, there were times when things seemed to wrap up a little too neatly for my taste. Life is messy, and we often have to crawl out of the pit by the grace of God just to survive. At times, it felt as if the characters would just "pray it out" and then everything would work out the way it was supposed to. I absolutely believe in the power of prayer, but many times the answer is no...or wait. In Cherished, everything seemed a little too perfect, and the moments that were supposed to be beautiful were actually cheapened by the ease with which they seemed to arrive.
Still, this was a really good read. Cherished was uplifting and encouraging. I particularly loved how the theme of music was central to the story. We got to take a peek into the Christian recording artist's world, something I enjoyed thoroughly. If you like reading feel good fiction with spiritual depth, I would recommend any of Kim Cash Tate's novels.
Disclosure of Material: I received this book free from the publisher via Book Sneeze. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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