Season of Hope is the story of two people rising from despair and, through God’s faithfulness, finding that true love can happen twice in a lifetime.
Love deafened Beverly’s ears when her fiancé, Bobby, warned that the men in his family die young. But after 30 years of marriage, at age 53, Bobby was “the youngest male in the Key family to die.” Soon afterward, across the continent, Jim Ball’s wife, Elaine, passed into eternity. Widowed and lonely, Beverly and Jim dared to hope that they could find true love again – and this book details the result of that belief. It’s written by Beverly, who recounts Jim’s side of the story for her now-deceased husband.
In our modern culture, where adultery, divorce and selfishness are the norms, this book is pure mountain air blowing sweetly into a smog-choked city street. The Balls’ story, intentionally or not, is an invigorating view of what a godly marriage should look like. The couple allowed God to be in control of their union, inspiring Christians “to rest upon the Lord, putting [their] trust in Him completely.”
The book alternates between Beverly’s and Jim’s stories, then merges smoothly into “their story.” It is joyful, romantic and undeniably sad. Hearing firsthand accounts of the grieving inherent to losing a spouse is enlightening to those who have yet to wear those shoes.
The book is hampered by a few issues. At times, the names and details can be difficult to follow. There are many typos and unnecessary repetitions (for instance, Beverly recaps her first husband’s death more than once with identical wording). Where Beverly’s stories are full, Jim’s tend to be shorter (understandable considering that Beverly compiled Jim’s stories posthumously), leaving readers wanting more.
Nonetheless, Season of Hope is a must-read for any Christian widow or widower, a powerful testimony to God’s love for His children and His desire to bless those who trust in Him for their every need.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
