A Fragile Hope

Starred review from March 6, 2017
Ruchti (Song of Silence) creates a brilliant portrait of a man who is forced to question everything he thought he knew. Josiah Chamberlain, marriage counselor and bestselling author, thought he had a happy marriage. His wife, Karin, had a different opinion and made plans to leave. When a tragic car crash changes those plans, Josiah is forced to confront the reality of his life and the secrets his wife was keeping. He must make excruciating choices and wrestle with God, his faith, and an unfeeling money-hungry literary agent who orders him to start working on his next book. The choice to tell this story in limited third person is a major key to its success, creating a profoundly intimate portrayal. The vast majority of the story takes place inside Josiah’s head; readers watch the action while also experiencing it through Josiah’s eyes and heart. The reader simply cannot turn away from either the outside drama or the journey of self-discovery. Ruchti, who professes to write stories “hemmed in hope,” delivers an amazing rumination on what it means to hope when all seems lost.