I can’t recall the last
time a novel (in this case three) has impacted me so powerfully. The Lily Trilogy is a remarkable series that
explores some of the greatest joys and deepest sorrows of life. I am still blown away by how profoundly each
of these books has touched me.
Questions, conflicts, struggles, and temptations are treated with the
levity and gravity that the biggest challenges, sacrifices, and decisions are
given in real life. Chances are very good you will find yourself easily able to identify with the complex inner workings of these people, these families, and that you will find in one or more of the situations something that speaks so perfectly to your own suffering that tears seem like the only possible release.
Life Entwined with Lily's is a very close-up look at how the love, influence, and impact of one person can transform many hearts, souls, and minds. Without the help of a wannabe angel named Clarence or a trip to the past, author Sherry Boas creates a beautiful affirmation of life, faith, hope, and relationships that reaches even deeper than the popular Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life.
These modern-day persons aren’t perfect by any means. Their lives are not ideal. They are messy, complicated, and at times very bleak. The characters grapple with the major questions about: what gives life value, meaning, who or what determines who should live, how long, and why.
I prefer my characters to be very full, dynamic, believable. In these books, that’s precisely what they are. No one’s perfect. Not a single person has mastered unconditional love, perfect compassion, or limitless forgiveness, but they’re genuinely trying.
I am quite amazed that without being preachy or having some sort of flawless character to act as perfect guide for everyone else, the author of the Lily Trilogy has covered in just three books a majority of the respect life issues from conception to natural death in realistic, thought-provoking, meaningful ways as well as touched on every single one of the Seven Sacraments in the Catholic Church. These two accomplishments in and of themselves would be impressive, but within such readable heart-wrenching works of fiction, they raise the bar for fiction, especially Christian and Catholic, as a whole.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Caritas Press to find more information on Life Entwined with Lily's.
