The Kindness of Strangers

The Kindness of Strangers by Katrina Kittle

Amazon.com Description:

"Sarah Laden, a young widow and mother of two, struggles to keep her family together. Since the death of her husband, her high-school-age son, Nate, has developed a rebellious streak, constantly falling in and out of trouble. Her kindhearted younger son, Danny, though well behaved, struggles to pass his remedial classes. All the while, Sarah must make ends meet by running a catering business out of her home. But when a shocking and unbelievable revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another young boy into her already tumultuous life. Jordan, a quiet and reclusive elementary-school boy and classmate of Danny's, has survived a terrible tragedy, leaving him without a family. When Sarah becomes Jordan's foster mother, a relationship develops that will force her to question the things of which she thought she was so sure. Yet Sarah is not the only one changed by this young boy, and as the delicate balance that holds her family together begins to falter, the Ladens will all face truths about themselves and one another -- and discover the power of love to forgive and to heal."

My thoughts:

Incredible. This book is raw and emotional…the story haunted me, still haunts me. Kittle created amazing characters and didn’t sugarcoat the issue of child abuse. She simply told a difficult story in a beautiful way.

The things described in this book happen to children every single day. The tears I cried while reading this were for all of those children who have not been saved, who have lost the innocence of their childhood to sick, vicious people. My wish for the world is that no child ever has to go through what the character in this book had to endure. Heartbreaking.