Tilly

Peretti's fictional story of a mother coming to terms with grief & denial of the death of her child is deeply moving & redemptive. Reading this story is not for the lighthearted but it will bring the reader to tears. If the reader wants a feel good ending, this book will do so. Peretti is one of the rare storytellers that engages readers with the characters he writes about. Unlike his other works, this one is short & to the point.

Tilly is a touching novella about a woman coming to terms with something from her past that she regrets. It begins when a husband and wife, Kathy and Dan, are in a cemetery, and she spots a gravestone with the name Tilly one it, and only one date. From that point on, she can't get that gravestone out of her mind, to the detriment of her family.

I had no idea what this book was about when I started reading, but it was short, and Peretti is my favorite writer. According to the back of the book, it was originally a radio drama, and it took me somewhere between 1-1.5 hours to read it.

Maybe because of my experience with Peretti's other works, I expected more of a mystery than this book contained. In fact, if you read the synopsis on show more Goodreads, half of the book is almost unnecessary (thankfully I didn't look the book up on Goodreads at all before reading it, though I normally do).

A good amount of the book is spent in a dream, with beautiful imagery and tender moments, as Kathy comes to grips with a mistake she made in the past, which has affected her family for 9 years. The reason for the past choice is not expounded on, which was probably one of the things I most wished was different about the story.

No matter what the past decision was that Kathy and Dan regret, the important message in this story is of the forgiveness we can have in Christ, though I'll admit it's only lightly presented. Maybe the greater message is that, even when we know Christ has forgiven us, sometimes we are unable to let go of that mistake, and that until we do, we will never truly feel we can accept God's forgiveness.

I would recommend this light read to anyone who struggles with past mistakes, especially those they might consider unforgivable, but also for anyone interested in dramatic Christian stories. show less

This is one of the best books I have ever read.A mother if 3 has a dream of seeing her aborted child in heaven.She is the age she would have been in real life and she asks many hard to answer questions.You will love to find out how this child gets the name Tilly.Definitely bring tissues.

I borrowed this while babysitting for a friend, and read it in one evening. It's a strange book. Peretti isn't the greatest writer, and most of his books do well because they're exciting and well-crafted plots. This one is isn't. It's about someone who has managed to block out something she did nine years ago, and at last finds a way of moving forward with forgiveness. It's about loneliness, and family life, and love... yet the characters are oddly flat, and the important part of the book is a lengthy dream sequence.

There are odd plot inconsistencies too, which, if I spelled them out, would give the plot away entirely - for there was a twist which I wasn't expecting, towards the end.

I suppose it's not a bad book, but I really don't show more know what age-group it would be suitable for. The length and reading level is that of early chapter books, usually intended for children aged around 6-9 (depending on reading fluency). But the content is more suited to older teens - and even then, not entirely relevant since the bizarre situation which is eventually uncovered makes no sense at all. In addition, the Christian content is quite strong, which is likely to be offputting to those outside Christian circles.

Not a bad book, I suppose; it gives a message of sorts. But not one I expect to be reading again. show less

An amazing, short novel that explores life after abortion. Regardless of your personal, political, or religious views on the subject, you will be touched. We don't learn much about the main characters,but the one intimate view we are given describes the depths of the most personal human emotions. Peretti taps into the emotions that tie us all together, despite our beliefs.

Cleverly written, and heartwrenching. I think this is what "The Shack" could have been if it were better written.

Touching novella about a woman meeting in heaven with the child she aborted.