Choosing Charity Blog Tour: Finding Faith Book Review

FINDING FAITH
by Terri Ferran
Bonneville Books, 2007
ISBN: 9781599550732
LDS Fiction

 Kit Matthews tries to avoid thinking about God - and her unknown birth mother - altogether. She loves her family and is content with her life in California. That is, until her parents decide to move to Utah, the land of Mormons. New surroundings and culture shock do nothing to help Kit's social life. It is only with the help of Janet, a new friend, that Kit begins to adjust to life in Utah, as well as to the Mormon culture. Janet's older brother, Adam, is more than happy to befriend Kit, but when their feelings begin to go beyond friendship, Kit is torn. Does she really want to devote her heart to a boy who is going to leave her for two years to serve a mission for his faith? Can she support him when she doesn't even believe in his religion? As Kit looks deeper, she realizes that it isn't Adam's faith she needs to come to terms with - it's her own. 


I find it interesting how much this book speaks to me in terms of character, setting, and plot.  Maybe it's because I've grown up in Mormon-dominated Utah myself and been surrounded by others of my faith pretty much my whole life. Kit's experiences as a so-called outsider were somewhat eye-opening. There is an unfortunate tendency in a culture dominated by one religion or one way of thinking to exclude outsiders but at the same time Mormons can be very welcoming as well.  I was happy to see this in the Bridgers, the LDS family that takes Kit under their wing. This story feels very real with the ups and downs of growing up and finding one's own way in life.

This story is full of heart, family, and faith. There is a good amount of LDS doctrine weaved into the story but it doesn't slow the story down. I found the author did a fine job of explaining LDS beliefs in an understandable way. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy a contemporary story about family, friends, and faith.

Be sure to check out the rest of the tour, here and enter the giveaway of the third book in the trilogy, Choosing Charity, here.