Around here, we are all about showcasing books that celebrate beauty amidst the brokenness. Books that face real-world problems honestly, but at the same time recognize redemption in the midst of them. They hold the tension of brokenness and beauty together, one in each hand. Giving us a more accurate picture, I believe, of how to live truthful, compassionate lives.

For me, these make the best kind of novel. I appreciate them not only for offering a beautiful story, but for opening my eyes to what I need to see, while giving me hope and, often, insights into how I can make a better difference right where I am.

I pulled these seven novels from my shelves as prime examples. Each brings to the page real-to-life relationships, people, and places. They show God’s hand in tending to intricate matters of the heart as well as complicated matters of the world — although in a couple His hand is more implied than stated. And each novel is masterfully rendered.

All have been featured previously here on the blog, so to learn more, simply click on the title to read my original review.

The Beautiful Daughters by Nicole Baart

A shining example of the kind of contemporary women’s fiction I love: honest and true, written with such pathos that even if you can’t relate to a particular situation…you can. The author’s writing is exquisite, and her novel is both beautiful and significant: a story that matters. Engrossing and multi-layered, The Beautiful Daughters was a book I could hardly put down.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

This time-slip novel lured me in with its lovely cover and intriguing premise, then left me with a heart brimming with emotion. And in between, the author’s exquisite prose, skillful plotting, and perfect pacing kept me enthralled from first page to last. I adored it. Gripping, poignant, and flawlessly executed, Before We Were Yours is a story to keep tucked close to the heart.

Christy by Catherine Marshall

If any novel celebrates beauty amidst brokenness, it’s this one. Genre-defying, Christy is a toothsome tome to sink into — and to find yourself in. New readers will never believe this novel was penned more than fifty years ago. Its characters and themes and issues — oh, yes, the issues! — are just as relevant as they were half-a-century ago. (Which tells us something too about those issues…) It’s a story that has everything, a rich tapestry woven through with threads of inspiration, mystery, intrigue, history, humor, and drama. Christy is that rare novel that only grows more beautiful with age.

The Feathered Bone by Julie Cantrell

Powerful. Deeply true. Hauntingly beautiful. Stunning, in every sense. From its very first line, The Feathered Bone held me captive, hitting all my marks dead-on. The story took me deep, deep into the depravity of man and the brokenness of this fallen world. But it didn’t leave me there, oh no. It brought me back again–not as I was before, but enriched, because I returned with a renewed hold on hope and the promise of goodness. The Feathered Bone dared me to hope for what seems hopeless and believe in the impossible.

The Fire by Night by Teresa Messineo

From its gripping first pages that drew me inexorably into the story, to the incredible depth and breadth of research, to the glimmering hope that emerged from the ashes, I found this histfic completely unexpected. It gives an unflinching look at the horrors of war while focusing on the selfless sacrifice of two women. Both offer compelling pictures of beauty in the midst of terrible brokenness. The Fire by Night gives readers an incredibly captivating story that promises to linger long in heart and mind.

Hum If You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais

If you read one book about racism in South Africa this year, let it be this one. The voices of the two narrators blend into a poignant song that is both emotionally powerful and socially important. While unabashed in its descriptions of the stark brutality of the time and place, it’s also bold in its celebration of the resiliency of the human spirit, the triumphant power of love. Hum If You Don’t Know the Words offers a masterful rendering of stunning beauty found amidst terrible brokenness.

The Outcast by Jolina Petersheim

From its opening lines, The Outcast wowed me in every way. the author has a rare gift for storytelling, stringing along conflict and surprise revelations from first page to last. Billed as a modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter, I found The Outcast riveting, its themes universal…transcendent. It’s about the value of purity, the consequences of pride and the power of forgiveness.  Perfectly paced, beautifully written, flawlessly executed, I could not put The Outcast down.

After words:

Which titles would you recommend for books that celebrate beauty amidst brokenness?