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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
When My Heart Broke: A Journey Through Loss by Brenda Carroll Jarvis details her grandson Michael Caleb Chavarria’s life, and the spiritual record she kept after his death at age twenty-five while serving in the United States Air Force in Okinawa. The author shares the family history that shaped their bond during Michael’s childhood across Mexico and the United States, before moving forward with the moments that molded him, like fatherhood and military service. After the news of his death, Jarvis turns to dated journal entries written as prayers and meditations addressed to God. Each entry puts daily grief inside a devotional practice, linked to scripture and faith. Through this record, the author describes how Christian belief frames mourning, all while holding to the promise that death does not end life with God.
Brenda Carroll Jarvis's When My Heart Broke is a Christian memoir about her grandson Michael and the faith that sustained her family after his death. What makes this book really special is that she takes us to a place where we feel like we know Michael. We are there when Jarvis is waiting outside the hospital room on the day of his birth, until she finally hears his first cry. And that is why, even now, when she describes the news of his death, it hits harder. Still, the author moves readers by saying that God asks her to praise Him even while her heart aches, so she speaks that praise aloud and records it in her journal. She believes obedience to God brings peace, and from her account, that does appear to ring true. Jarvis writes in a gentle, warm, and compassionate voice and links every point she makes to scripture, making this the perfect guide for readers seeking spiritual comfort after a bereavement. Recommended.
