A Million Little Choices by Tamera Alexander: Book Review

  *Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Sometimes secrets just won’t stay hidden . . .
Now from USA Today bestselling author and Christy Award Hall of Fame inductee Tamera Alexander comes the story of two women from different centuries living in the same house who share strikingly similar journeys.

Claire Powell’s life is turned upside down when her beloved husband admits to a “near affair.” But when Stephen accepts a partnership with an Atlanta law firm without consulting her and buys a historic Southern home sight-unseen—it pushes their already-fractured marriage to the breaking point. Claire’s world spirals, and she soon finds herself in a marriage she no longer wants, in a house she never asked for.

In 1863, Charlotte Thursmann, pregnant and trapped in a marriage to an abusive husband, struggles to protect her unborn child and the enslaved members of her household. Desperate, she’s determined to right the evils her husband and others like him commit. But how can one woman put an end to such injustice? Especially if her husband makes good on his threat to kill her?

Both Claire and Charlotte discover truths about themselves they never realized, along with secrets long hidden that hold the power to bring God’s restoration—if only they choose to let it.

This Southern historical fiction novel includes:

• Dual-timeline plot
• Thought-provoking treatment of the themes of difficult relationships, infidelity, forgiveness, and trust
• Discussion questions—you’re all set for book club!

USA Today bestselling author Tamera Alexander is one of today's most popular writers of inspirational historical romance. Her novels continue to garner reader loyalty around the world, with her latest, Colors of Truth, hitting both the US Amazon and the Netherlands bestsellers lists right out of the gate. A Million Little Choices, her highly-anticipated dual timeline NOV 2023 release, is already drawing industry acclaim.

Her novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on best-seller lists—including ECPA Bestsellers, CBA Bestsellers, and #1 Amazon Bestsellers in Historical Christian Fiction.

Tamera was inducted into the Christy Award Hall of Fame in 2020, which is the highest honor awarded Christian fiction. She's a two-time recipient of the coveted Carol Award bestowed by American Christian Fiction Writers, and is also a two-time winner (six-time finalist) of the RITA Award.

Tamera lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband Joe and two lovable but rambunctious Australian Terriers, not far from the Southern mansions that serve as the backdrop for many of her critically-acclaimed novels.

Her books have been translated into multiple languages including Dutch, German, Polish, Romanian, Slovakian, Portuguese and more. For more about Tamera's books, visit www.TameraAlexander.com

Have your tissues nearby when you read this book... you are absolutely going to need them. This book was so well written that I found the emotions that Claire was feeling coming right off the pages. While that certainly speaks to the quality of the story, I have to admit that I had to step away several times for that same reason--- as I tend to prefer lighter hearted reads these days for my own mental health. Still, despite that, I really liked the story of these two women. I loved the history of the old house and thought it really tied together their two stories quite well.  It was messy and emotional dealing with the tough topics of infidelity, loss of a child and abuse... but there was also a realness about it that made it all that much more beautiful too. It's certainly one that will stick with me for a while. 

This is a Christian fiction book and does have some beautiful messages of forgiveness, but I will repeat again that this deals quite frankly with the topic of infidelity. While nothing happens on the pages or is described in graphic detail, it's very much not sugarcoated either. While this did not bother me personally and added to that realness, I could see where some readers might be uncomfortable with it and as such is something to consider.