Kate Breslin has proven herself to be a masterful author.  After tremendously enjoying her last novel “Not by Sight”, I was eager to obtain a copy of her newest release, “High as the Heavens.”  Would her most recent novel prove to be as stellar as her previous?  Well… In some ways yes, in other ways,  I’m sorry to say definitely not.

“High as the Heavens” contains an absolutely phenomenal plot.  It is a dramatic, ever-changing saga of espionage, danger and secrets, and every reader will be left gaping at the page in shock at least once along the way.  In fact, to be completely fair, “High as the Heavens” holds one of the very best plots that I have ever read.  Additionally, not only is it a grand adventure, but it is also strengthened by many faith-building elements.  So what’s the problem?

The problem begins in the fact that the couple in the book is already married.  While of course this in not an issue in and of itself, it does open the door to far too many thoughts, conversations, memories, and desires that would have been best left private from the reader.  In this way, “High as the Heavens” is sadly disappointing as it is not uncommon for it to be very inappropriate.

As another aspect to be aware of, the horrors of war are described in great detail.  No words are minced when it comes to the atrocities of battle scenes, or the brutality of the the attacks carried out against women by some soldiers.  All are brought to vivid life.  While these scenes are very difficult to read, I realize that they are also historically accurate as they depict the terrors that real people faced in the first world war.  Still, it is incredibly horrible, and sometimes the details seem a bit much.

Thus, “High as the Heavens” is a difficult book to review.  It is very disappointing on many levels in the fact that it is frequently unsuitable for those wanting a completely clean read, and in other ways it shines in it’s examples of hope, and forgiveness. In the end it is, of course, up to you whether “High as the Heavens” will be on your reading list.  Honestly, I wouldn’t really recommend either way, but would suggest that it be approached with caution if you decide to give it a try.

“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”