Book Review: Watch Over Me by Christa Parrish

Title: Watch Over Me
Author: Christa Parrish
Publisher: Bethany House, Minneapolis
Copyright: 2009
Pages: 352
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0554-5
Genre: Christian fiction

Ben returns injured from a tour in Afghanistan. What his wife doesn't know is that his missing toes are only the beginning of his injuries. And while he was enduring the horrors of war, his wife was protesting the war at home. Their marriage hasn't been the same since he returned, and they both know it.

When Ben discovers an abandoned baby, he persuades Abbi they can serve as foster parents until the police locate the baby's parents-possibly adopt Silvia if the parents aren't discovered. Baby Silvia brings Ben and Abbi together in a common cause, but they soon learn that she's only a bandage for their lurking problems. If they lose Silvia, will their marriage survive? It's a question neither Ben nor Abbi can answer.

The Characters in Watch Over Me

The characters really enrich the story. Parrish reveals glimpses into the past, not enough to weigh down the current action, but enough for us to understand what motivates the characters' present actions.

Watch Over Me makes a lot of sense because the characters clash with each other, yet they also deal with internal conflict. Ben and Abbi both want to trust each other again. So why don't they? In addition to the ways they've hurt each other, Ben and Abbi each fight secret battles. Ben's ashamed of some things he did in Afghanistan, and Abbi's ashamed of her struggle with an eating disorder. Their internal struggles play a role in how they relate to each other. The combination of internal and external conflict brings these characters to life.

A Major Theme in Watch Over Me

Furthermore, Watch Over Me examines an issue of increasing importance in our country. Many soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq face some serious problems. Their problems pose challenges to their own mental health. Their problems also affect their families, their employers, their friends, their churches, their neighborhoods. While we may not have one single answer for their questions, one solution to their problems, we surely cannot ignore the matter.

Parrish brings our attention to this issue. But she does something more. She weaves hope into Watch Over Me.

As I write this, the movie Brothers has recently hit theaters. Like Watch Over Me, the movie Brothers examines the effects of the war on a returned serviceman and his family. I have not seen the movie, but I have read about it. From what I can tell, the story doesn't end on a hopeful note but leaves everyone wondering whether the main characters can salvage their lives.

Surely we must acknowledge the ugliness of war. We'd be foolish not to. But who needs more despair? Don't we have enough already?

Unlike some other stories, Watch Over Me depicts the tragedy yet offers hope.