It’s just another day in the life of Grace Neunaber. Noisy, chaotic, a plethora of crises averted while preparing the children for school. Grace silently wished for a little peace. She had no idea just how bad it could get until her daughter Faith announced that her baby's father was back in town and asking to see his son. Top that off with her pastor/principal husband’s news that he had been “called" to relocate the family once again; to assume a new job that would uproot his family and disrupt any sense of normalcy that had finally begun to fall into place following that last move. While Grace works to balance her conflicting emotions, Faith must deal with her own problems.

Hope Alone by Ruth Meyer is a lovely story of family dynamics and painful realities unspoken in most religious-based narratives. Teen pregnancy is an age-old issue that we normally believe not to be common in the lives of the “good” kids. Meyer’s command of the English language and character development provides a much-needed perspective of young adult choices and moral struggles. Faith is a model for contemporary teens. Her situation exemplifies a positive outcome to what is often perceived as a negative situation. The result of a broken home, Faith’s life journey could easily take a different turn. This reader appreciates the candor with which Ruth Meyer approaches a very real occurrence in everyday life. This is an excellent choice for both young adult readers as well as those searching for appropriate material for parents of teenagers.

In Hope Alone by Ruth Meyer, as Grace Neunaber contemplates her marriage to a Lutheran school teacher, David, she wonders whether their minor squabbles are a sign that their relationship is not as solid as it could be. Grace soon realizes that she is simply feeling overwhelmed by trying to look after her ever-increasing family and responsibilities. As she juggles her time around her family's needs, nothing could prepare her for the personal troubles of her eldest teenage daughter, Faith. Like Grace, Faith is a single mother. Luckily, Faith found Aaron and together their future looks set for security and happiness until Faith's ex-boyfriend and father of her son returns, claiming to have become a Christian and realized the error his ways. He seeks forgiveness and a chance to reconcile with his son. Can Faith allow him back into her life and forget the hurt he caused, and can Aaron accept this and his overwhelming feelings of jealousy?

Hope Alone by Ruth Meyer is a charming story of family dynamics and romance with a Christian perspective. The characters have a wonderful range of personalities and their relationships with one another are developed extremely well. I thought the study of human emotions was executed superbly, and the plot covered everything from forgiveness to love, jealousy, guilt, and shame. The plot covers the subject of forgiveness and asks the question if our past mistakes have to define us. I thought the journey of self-discovery that Faith took throughout the story was tackled realistically; she had some choices to make and those choices would affect not only herself but her son too. The sub-plot involving Grace and David complemented the main storyline and the author even managed some great conflicts throughout too. The whole concept of the story can be summed up perfectly, I feel, in James 1:5: “God gives generously to all who ask in faith, whatever their past.”