Book Review: Just Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury

Title: Just Beyond the Clouds
Author: Karen Kingsbury
Publisher: Center Street, New York
Copyright: 2007
Pages: 329
ISBN: 978-1-59995-677-0
Genre: Christian fiction

A passionate teacher enjoys her work but can't help thinking of the wedding anniversary she should be celebrating. She funnels her disappointment with romance into energy for her students. Elle Dalton, however, isn't the typical teacher. She teaches adults with Down Syndrome how to function in the larger world, with the goal of enabling her students to one day "graduate" to independent living. She teaches them to cook, budget, navigate bus routes, hold social conversations, and sometimes read and write. "Life skills," she calls these studies. But the most important life skill, she says, is praying.

One of Elle's students takes her suggestion seriously. Carl Joseph prays for his brother, the "world-famous bull rider." Carl Joseph says Brother has been hurt. At first, Elle thinks Carl Joseph embellished the facts about his brother, Cody Gunner. Elle eventually learns that Cody was a successful bull rider, but it wasn't a physical hurt that pulled him off the circuit. Meanwhile, Cody challenges Elle when he learns that her goal is to enable Carl Joseph to live independently. He fears for his brother's safety.

Kingsbury has accomplished two main things through Just Beyond the Clouds. She raises awareness of Down Syndrome-what life might be like for families that deal with this condition, what appropriate education can do for those families, what questions and struggles they may face. As a result, I think a lot of readers will walk away with a greater compassion and understanding-I don't mean pity-for these families or for any family who cares for a child with special needs.

Secondly, Kingsbury reminds us that behind every trouble, the truth remains that God only has good plans for His children. When hard times come, we have to hold onto that truth in faith. When readers see the characters in Just Beyond the Clouds holding on, I think they'll be encouraged to hold onto faith in their real-life circumstances.

If you have read Kingsbury's novels before, you know that she doesn't usually write action-packed dramas. She tends to focus more on domestic stories. Just Beyond the Clouds struck me as particularly low-key. Despite a few moments of increased tension, it presents a more relaxed tone. In some books, the big moments of tension, or the turning points in the story, stand out like mountain peaks. In Just Beyond the Clouds, they're more like rolling hills. And that level of tension works well for this story. It fits.

Kingsbury grabs our attention in the beginning with several questions about characters. As the story unfolds, we find more and more answers, and the ending concludes everything well. I did not find the tension and pacing a surprise.

I was, however, surprised by the way that Carl Joseph's character unfolds. As I began reading, I saw Elle as the main character. By the end, I wasn't so sure. Carl Joseph, Elle's student and Cody's brother, seems to literally take over the story. In fact, changes in his story line force changes in the paths of both Cody and Elle. Kingsbury doesn't present him in a pitiable light at all. She actually makes him into one of the most admirable characters in Just Beyond the Clouds.

Carl Joseph has a generous and forgiving spirit. His faith in God is so pure, I couldn't help wishing the same faith for myself. He's a genuine friend, not self-serving at all. As Elle observes, "They were so comfortable around each other. Elle couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Which of them were really handicapped if relationships came this easily for Daisy and Carl Joseph?" (285).

Just Beyond the Clouds affirms that even-no, especially-people that society doesn't see as "normal" are valuable people, who can offer things of value to the rest of us. It also reminds us that when we look to God, our stories don't end when tragedy strikes. Something brighter lies beyond.