REVIEW: I finished the debut novel by Marie Crews called Even When…She Rose a few nights ago. Since then my mind has been working in the background to figure out how to approach the review for this book. One, I don’t usually read memoirs. Two the author says although the novel is heavily inspired by her experiences, it is a work of fiction. Since I was conflicted, I had a frank discussion with Marie and I have decided to go ahead and review her novel. I am treating it as a novel only and not a memoir.

The writing in this book is interesting. I’m not just saying that. Some of the language and and some of the slang were a little odd for me. Marie is younger than I am and has adult children that are much younger. I don’t have children and don’t often speak with young folks. I easily caught on and the rest of the book was smooth. She has a good writing style and some of the book seems to be excerpts from a journal. You know me…I love books about journals and diaries! That was right up my alley. 

The characters in this story were mult-faceted. Rose is the main character and most of the book revolves around her, her family and friends. Her love of helping others caries throughout the book and we meet some of those as we move through the story. As you would expect and as in most books the main characters were well developed and the ones in the background were not as complex. I liked Rose and hoped she would get her life together. Does she? You have to answer that for yourself.

There are several subjects that are dealt with in this book including young marriage, single parenthood, addiction, unplanned pregnancy, a special needs child and weight issues. Marie writes and I quote “If this novel brings hope to even one person who is in a difficult season of their life, the pain and process of writing it will have been worth it. It would even be better if it gives someone the courage to keep going and realize they really can overcome anything!” That is a pretty selfless reason for writing a book.

I really enjoyed this book even though it felt a bit like a memoir. I was pulled into the story and it held my interest to the end. That tells me one thing. If it was a memoir, I would have quit reading long before the end. I guess I just answered my own question. Was it a novel or a memoir? It was a novel! If you enjoy stories that are based on real life. give this one a try. 

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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SYNOPSIS: Growing up with an absent father and an exhausted, single mother who was trying to work and raise four children, Rose was left to essentially raise herself. She unknowingly repeated her mom’s pattern by marrying young and becoming a divorced, uneducated mother of two.

Years later, with a broken marriage to a broken man in her rearview mirror, Rose finds herself happy and in awe at how she ended up re-married, this time to the man of her dreams. His love and support strengthen her unwavering commitment to her children as she continues to guide them into adulthood, and all seems well.

Until she begrudgingly accepts an opportunity to tutor a young mother-to-be. In doing so, she unintentionally opens the lid to her own Pandora’s box which forces her to grapple, once more, with the wounds of her painful past (a past she thought she’d laid to rest).

This contemporary novel looks like a timeless tale of hardship on the surface, but it reaches much farther into the depths of the challenges of motherhood, raising a special needs child, loss, and triumph, in ways few writers have. In her debut novel, Marie Crews has laid it all out there. She’s captured the heart of humility, courage, transparency, and empathy. Her unique style of writing and storytelling is sure to captivate and inspire all who dare to dream and begin again, Even When…