The Masterpiece – Francine Rivers

Title: The Masterpiece

Author: Francine Rivers

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Christian Fiction

Plot: Roman Velasco is a handsome, well respected artist. But he keeps everyone at arm’s length. No one can be trusted. He’s been hurt too many times. He sulks about his grand house. Grace Moore is Roman’s newly appointed secretary. She’s been searching for a job for some time and this is the first one to come along. Grace is desperate to get on her own two feet. She relies on her friends and her steadfast faith in God. Roman trusts only in himself. Both Grace and Roman are hurting from the past. Neither know if they can trust each other. Both try to work out their differences. Roman offers Grace a place to stay when he learns she’s struggling with money. She reluctantly accepts. Slowly their walls come down. They learn to trust. Still they hide their feelings. Roman insists Grace go on a road trip with him so he can talk with people who want him to paint a mural. On the way down, they open up to each other. They talked of their troubled pasts. On the way back, they stop for food and Roman drops dead. Grace saves him with God’s help. Roman experiences during his stay give him perspective on faith. Will that be enough for Roman to become a Christian? Will he and Grace overcome their troubled past? What will become of their new found friendship?

Rating: 4.8 – a great book, pulls at your heartstrings

Opinion: I’ve always loved Francine River’s books. This book is no exception. I’ve always been a sap when it comes to romance. This book tugged at my heart numerous times. It deals with childhood trauma. As I work with children, it hit that much closer to home. There were many times that I was very caught up in the book and many times that I didn’t want to put the book down. The characters were well written and fleshed out. It can show people that Christians aren’t perfect. They make mistakes, the same as everyone else. The book can show that everyone can change. It may take a near death experience, but they can. Everyone is searching for something. Everything can be found in Christ. Will everyone accept the truth? There seems to be a good ending point but the story continues. In the end, everything is wrapped up with a pretty bow. Francine Rivers does a great job explaining how relationships work in the real world. She gives good reasons why the characters act the way they do. There are sappy moments, but it still rings with truth. If you love Francine Rivers, then I suggest this book. This book is also great for those who love sappy books but are realistic with relationships then this also a good book.