Thicker than Blood is an incredible story of the relationship between two sisters. I would give you the "summary" from the back cover, but I actually think it gives away too much. It is really short, only a few lines, but it tells some things that just shouldn't be known until you actually begin reading. Therefore, I've made up my own summary:
The story opens on two sisters' very separate lives. They have long since parted ways, and now both are trying to discover their lives' purposes. One sister works in a high-priced, antique-type bookstore, the other works on a cattle ranch. When hardships and fear envelop May and Christy, they must find a way to reunite. More importantly, they must learn to trust God and God alone.
As a background note, Thicker than Blood came into being when C.J. Darlington won the 2008 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel contest. I think the contest judges made a good choice. I actually found out about the book while reading a Christian teen magazine that discussed Darlington's sudden success. I was immediately hooked.
In my opinion, the key factors that make this book worth reading are the added interests of collecting books and cattle ranching, not to mention the underlying struggle that we all seem to face between going our own way and going God's way. There is mystery, intrigue, and romance, but each part seems perfectly balanced; that is extremely hard to find in books nowadays. Because it is so well proportioned, I really didn't get bored with any of it. (Though, I must admit that I wanted to jump ahead in a few spots because it really made me sit on the edge of my seat in places!)
My favorite thing is that C.J. Darlington does not disguise the power of God in any way. At times I am rather dissapointed with Christian fiction; so much of it is labelled "Christian" but doesn't seem to be Christian at all. Thicker than Blood is clearly the opposite.
Overall, this is a book that Christian fiction lovers cannot miss.
