"LIVING IT DOWN," by Pamela S. Williams, Walnut Springs Press, $17.99, 307 pages (f)
When Carrie Burke leaves her seemingly perfect life, she confuses a lot of people, including herself. Heart sore but wanting to be supportive, her husband agrees for her and their two daughters to transplant themselves to a dingy basement apartment in Provo.
Depressed, Carrie is convinced that once she’s in a new ward and with a new bishop, she will rise above her funk. Then she realizes her new bishop is the one person she hoped she’d never see again.
Although a past sin was repented of long ago, Carrie has never forgiven herself. A perfectionist, she now has to learn that when the Lord forgives sinners, they, in turn, need to forgive themselves.
While Carrie struggles along the road of forgiveness, her teenage daughter is faced with a temptation she’s never come across before. The new girl at school, she is flattered to find herself attracting the attention of a popular boy. But she quickly begins to wonder what his true intentions are.
With the help and love of their new friends, both mother and daughter find peace and remember their self-worth. Along the way, new talents are realized and a love in danger is healed.
Author Pamela S. Williams does an excellent job integrating a novel full of memorable characters with teaching how the power of the Atonement can work in lives. Her characters are realistic and show that just because one is married, single or a bishop, everyone has trials to surmount and love to share.
“Living It Down” has clean language and focuses on the ramifications of immorality and repentance. The subjects of petting, pornography and teen pregnancy have a large part in the storyline but without graphic details. The characters are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who face common trials and temptations.
Williams graduated from Brigham Young University. She and her husband have three children, seven grandchildren and live in Provo. “Living It Down” is her first book.
Elizabeth Reid has bachelor degrees in economics and history. She has worked in retail, medical billing, catering, education and business fields. Her favorite occupation is that of wife and mother. She blogs at www.agoodreid.blogspot.com.