the air we breathe review

"The Air We Breathe" by Christa Parrish is a well written, sad novel.  The characters are wonderfully developed, the plot is perfect, it is an excellent book.  It is also very depressing.  Hannah is a 11 year old girl who while with her father at a bank  it is robbed.  The robbers kill her father and take Hannah with them.  They then keep her for 2 weeks in a cage, doing what ever pleases them.  Claire is a childless mother of three.  Her children were killed in a car accident; her husband left her shortly afterwards for another women.  The two characters are drawn to each other.  Both are also either discovering or reconnecting with God to help them through their ordeals.  Hannah goes into hiding with her mother for 6 years.  She becomes terrified of all outdoors eventually never leaving her home for any reason.  On a happenstance/miracle she reconnects with Claire.  The two then lean back on each other to begin healing.  Good book, but definitely a downer.  I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers.