Jaded: A Novel

by Varina Denman

Overview

As a child, Ruthie was shunned by the local congregation. Thirteen years later, Ruthie’s heart begins to stir when an attractive single preacher arrives. But their relationship is bitterly opposed—unearthing a string of secrets which threaten to turn the church, the town, and her world upside-down.

Jaded is the rare novel that is both love story between a woman and man ... and God and His church. Plunging deep into the waters of shame, forgiveness and restoration, it will resonate with every woman who’s experienced a loss of heart ... and a thirst for hope.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780781412889
Publisher:	David C Cook
Publication date:	03/01/2015
Series:	Mended Hearts Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	795,828
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Varina Denman writes stories about the unique struggles women face. She teaches creative writing and literature, volunteers in her local cooperative, and is a home educator to her five children. She resides with her family in North Texas. This is her first novel.

Editorial Reviews

03/02/2015
In this capable debut novel, home educator and Bible study teacher Denman offers a glimpse into the complexities of life and romance in a tightly knit west Texas town. Years after the Turner family is caught in a scandal and ostracized, Ruthie Turner develops a romantic interest in Dodd Cunningham, the new local minister, setting the stage for the revelation of a string of secrets. Trapp, Tex., is no bucolic escape: it’s characterized by closed-mindedness, grudges, secrets, and distrust of outsiders. Denman refreshes an oft-told tale by adding variations to familiar character types. The cast is large, but the characters are well developed, making it easier for readers to follow their interactions. Although ostensibly a romance between Ruthie and Dodd, Denman’s novel is ambitious and multilayered, reading more like women’s fiction as it focuses on the issues of shame and forgiveness. Ruthie and Dodd alternate narration, which can be jarring at times. Denman offers an engaging tale of forgiveness and acceptance with memorable characters, and to her credit, she avoids a predictable ending. Agent: Jessica Kirkland, Blythe Daniel Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly