Lost and Found - by Ginny Yttrup

Jenna Durand Bouvier has been under the influence of Brigitte Bouvier since her mother died and Brigitte stepped in to guide and shape Jenna to what Brigitte envisioned her to be.  Now that Jenna is married to Brigitte's son, Gerard, and living in her house, she finds that she is losing herself, to the point that when Brigitte suggests that Jenna's jawline is "too masculine," Jenna undergoes plastic surgery to try to please Brigitte's ideals.  However, when the surgery goes wrong and Jenna is left with a lingering infection, she withdraws from the public eye and begins to search even more for God's presence and His will for her life.  Sensing outside influences on Jenna that might bend her away from her plans for her daughter-in-law, Brigitte wields her considerable power to break Jenna and keep her in line.  Will Jenna be strong enough to thrive?  Or will she continue to bear what she considers to be her cross?

This book was intense.  Jenna's search for God and her true desire to seek Him and do what was pleasing to Him was inspiring.  I really hated Brigitte for what she was doing to Jenna, but wanted so badly for Jenna to overcome her situation.  Jenna's search and struggles are so relatable that I think every reader could find himself or herself in her shoes.  The overarching theme to Jenna's journey is "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  Yet as I would imagine so many of us wonder, she says "The words play in my mind over and over.  I try to rest in their truth.  But the insistent accusations are hard to ignore.  Why can't I rest in truth?  Rest in my relationship with the One I know loves me most?"  Even as Jenna struggles to find her own way and peace with God, she can't help but encourage and strengthen the people around her.  She allows others, whom many would consider not in her class, to speak truth to her life, and she values them and their spiritual wisdom.

I feel that I can't do this review justice.  There is so much I loved about this book that I could go on and on and on.  I don't give many books 5 stars, but this one earned it.  The writing was good, the characters were deep, and the spiritual truths presented were challenging.  I even had to look up the author of the quotes presented at the head of each chapter, Jeanne Guyon, because there was such wisdom in her words.  I will definitely be looking to read other works from Ginny Yttrup, because Lost and Found is not a book that will be forgotten quickly.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.