{Book Review} - Letters From My Father's Murderer by Laurie Coombs

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of the mentioned book for the purpose of review through Litfuse Publicity.

I have been on such a reading kick lately. Yes, some books are for review purposes, but I have to admit that I have enjoyed them just as well. I recently read Letters From my Father's Murderer by Laurie Coombs, and I have to say that it was, ironically, such an inspirational story. While it is not everyday you run into someone who has experienced the murder of one of their parents, the main message from this book runs much deeper. My Bachelor's in Psychology gets the best of me when it comes to deciphering human behavior, especially when it comes to murder. I am always interested to hear the back-story, as rarely is a murder committed by a stranger. That drew me into this book. I really wanted to hear what happened, and understand the meaning behind a willful correspondence between a daughter and her father's murder. What kept me reading was the powerful message of forgiveness.

When Laurie's father is murdered, she goes through a very religiously dark time. As time passes, she begins to explore her feelings through God's guidance. She needs closure, and via much thought and prayer, comes to the conclusion that she needs to reach out to her father's murderer to get the full story of what happened the evening of the murder. While there are many obstacles in the road that prevent this from being a smooth journey, Laurie remains steadfast in her faith in God and his example to forgive our enemies. This experience is told through Laurie's perspective, as well as the letters exchanged between her and her father's murderer.

Author Laurie Coombs

I could barely put this book down! As much as I wanted to find out why her father was murdered, I was equally as drawn to the underlying message of forgiveness, redemption, and most of all, healing by following the path of God. One quote that stuck out to me in this book was "It's not about whether you check the 'Christian' box on a survey, but whether your belief is backed by the power of the living God." (p. 93) I think this spoke to me because I see so many "box checkers" these days, and fewer individuals who actually try to live and behave as God intended. We are encouraged to love our enemies, which seems like such a difficult task. This proves to be the case, as seen when Laurie navigates her own journey of forgiveness. The amount of strength and perseverance Laurie shows throughout her experience is miraculous. I'm so glad that she shared her story the way she did, as I feel it could speak volumes to anyone who reads it. It gives you a very positive impression of forgiveness, and reminds us all that 1-forgiveness allows for our own healing and 2-that forgiveness does not equate to the acceptance of sinful acts.

I happily give this book 10 stars, and highly recommend it:

★★★★★★★★★★

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