In the spring of 2002, Inece Hughes’ 17-year-old grandson, Brendon, died. Though athletic and seemingly healthy, an undetected heart condition abruptly whisked him away from this earth. In His Master Plan, Hughes celebrates her grandson’s life through recollection and shares biblical truths that have helped her navigate the tumultuous waters of loss.
Each chapter ends with pictures of Brendon, creating an unvoiced rhythm of grief beating through the pages of the book. While the text is inspiring, the haunting images of Brendon silently carry along the melancholy ache of his grandmother’s heart. Her faithful trust in God and joy over His promises seem to clash against the reality of her sorrow, yet result in a believable hope for others that “the journey through grief does get easier with every passing day.”
Midway through, Hughes includes poems and then closes out her work with roughly three-dozen letters she wrote posthumously to Brendon as “a vent for the grief.” Her letters may inspire others who are grieving to find healing through writing, and encourage us all to cherish those we love.
Hughes writes specifically to a Christian audience, stating, “We live out our life as a tale that is told, and when it [sic] completed [sic] we go back to the maker.” Her advice centers around the assumption that her readers hold a Christian view of life and the afterlife. This may be a turn-off to non-Christian readers.
Typographical errors sprinkled throughout make this book less than perfect, yet readers may be willing to overlook flaws out of respect for the subject matter.
For anyone trying to make sense of the loss of a loved one, Hughes’ experience will surely inspire them to trust in God’s master plan and “look to the future with great hope…. better days are ahead, and the best is yet to come!”
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
