I had no idea what I was missing out on by not reading Elizabeth Musser’s novels, but certainly I won’t be skipping them anymore! “When I Close My Eyes” absolutely blew me away. The sheer power and depth of her words, her understanding, her ability to engage and challenge her readers was incredible, and I don’t think I will ever look at the themes of mental illness and grace in quite the same way again. Honestly, I am a different and, I think, a better person after finishing this book than I was when I began it.

I can’t go into very much detail about the story itself without giving some away some major spoilers, so instead I will explain that the story is told through the eyes of three people… A famous author who is in a coma; the desperate former-soldier-turned-hit-man who placed her in that coma with a bullet shot; and the author’s daughter who struggles to come to terms with the past, the present, and what it means for her family’s future.

Each of these character’s stories intertwine as the pain from their pasts shapes their choices today. Threads of shame, depression, desperation, and the longing for forgiveness and redemption draw the story into a can’t-put-it-down narrative that jerked my heartstrings and made me realize that mental illness is not always something that individuals have any say over. It helped me realize that a reaction of understanding and love is always a better choice than judgement and disapproval, and that we all have times of emotional un-wellness. And the story of grace that paints a mirror-image pointing back to the gift of our Father in the form of His Son is absolutely breathtaking as we watch it unfold. If you are ready for a novel with mature themes and a challenging storyline that will leave your heart permanently embedded with its messages, then please find a copy of “When I Close My Eyes”… and begin a journey you will never forget.

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