Beloved Stranger's tale of a grieving woman falling for a mysterious Mexican hiding a murky past is a thrilling adventure that confronts death, trust and commitment head on.
About the Judith Pella
Judith Pella has written many historical romance fiction including The Russians, a series of seven books about two families set in pre-revolutionary Russia (written in collaboration with Michael Phillips) and the Daughters of Fortune series following the lives of three sisters separated during World War II.
Pella's historically enlightening epics combine tales of love, courage and misfortune with faith in God amidst difficult circumstances.
The Book's Plot
Beloved Stranger begins with Shelby Martin coming to terms with her father's passing. Her best friend Christie suggests a holiday to ease her grief and they end up in Mexico where Shelby meets Frank Stefano.
The two quickly fall in love and marry within days, but Shelby soon notices Frank's emotional distance, discomfort around his family and quick temper, and after his long absences and police visits she starts to wonder if she made a mistake in marrying a man she hardly knew.
Shelby has to decide whether to follow her heart and keep her vows of 'for better or worse' or flee from potential danger with the help of a God she barely knows.
Review of Beloved Stranger
Pella's heroines tend to be gentle, naive souls hit with a personal tragedy they have to navigate through, and on the way they find an inner strength and a resolve that emboldens them.
Shelby is no different, and her grief over her beloved father and hurt over her new husband endears her to the reader, yet from the outset her hasty marriage to a man she met days earlier seems like a bad idea despite the hope of love and contentment that Frank represents.
Pella then slowly unravels Frank's murky past involving family regrets and illegal activities, yet her multi-faceted characterization of the troubled man's anguish and conflicting actions prevents him from being an outright villain.
Shelby's denial then by pain followed by a determination to fight for what she believes in adds to the nuanced narrative which mostly takes place against a backdrop of Mexico's Puerto Vallarta resort brought to life by Pella's intimate details.
Pella also weaves a tale of faith amidst the intrigue and danger, from Frank's assured religion shaped by his grandmother's earnest faith to Shelby's growing awareness of God inspired by a surprise source.
The plot thickens, reaches a breathless climax then falls gently in a simple yet emotional reunion that affirms love, trust and faith as an instinct as well as a choice.
Book Information
Beloved Stranger was published in 1996 by Bethany House Publishers and is available online and in Christian book stores.
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