The Way It Should Be

January 1, 2021

After a troubled childhood, Zara Mahoney has it all: a brand-new husband, the start of her own business on the farm they purchased, and the promise of a family of her own. But her dreams start crashing when a medical test reveals a deadly genetic secret; then her estranged twin, Eve, gets in trouble with the state. Suddenly, Zara is asked to become a foster parent to her own niece and nephew, children she didn't even know existed. Eve works to clean up her life with the help of Tiff Bradley, a local woman who lost her daughter to drugs and sees promise in Eve. But Eve is having a difficult time leaving her past life behind even with her love for her children motivating her. What is God's plan for her? VERDICT Nelson (More Than We Remember) dives into the emotional and physical toll drugs and violence take on the victims and the survivors. Through Zara, Eve, and Tiff, readers are drawn into complicated family dynamics as the characters are forced to confront questions with no easy answers. Recommended for libraries where Karen Kingsbury and Robin Lee Hatcher are popular.--Melanie C. Duncan, Washington Memorial Lib., Macon, GA

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