From This Day Forward

From this Day Forward: A Love Story of Faith, Hope, and Forgiveness
By : Amy and Matt Baumgardner
Genre: Biographies and Memoirs
Published by: HCI Books
ISBN 9780757318054

“I did a very bad thing. An unforgivable thing. A thing that destines you to be a leper, someone with an A branded across your chest (though mine could also be a D), a person that people talk about with disgust and awe and an “aren’t you so glad you’re not her” tone.

I drove drunk. With my two children in the car.

And we got in an accident. ~ From the introduction of From This Day Forward

 

This is a true story. And like all true stories it’s quite messy.

Amy and Matt had been married for 8 years and had two children, when their relationship started to fall apart. There were fights, loss of trust and respect and a lack of communication. To cope with this, Amy took to drinking. Consequently, she gained weight, lost her job and began to neglect their children.

But one fateful day, Amy went too far. She drove drunk, had a blackout and crashed her car into a tree. It’s only when she came to that she realized that both her children were in the car with her.

Matt, unable to deal with this, filed for divorce.

But true stories also have miracles.

With heartrending honesty Matt and Amy tell a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seat. It is a story with the power to help others find the strength to take that first step in the right direction, to start a conversation with the one they love, to repair, rebuild, and restore, because once we understand the power of forgiveness, no relationship is ever past hope.

My views:

This real story is a beautiful one of love and forgiveness and tells how these two elements can help a couple overcome all problems in their marriage. I’m amazed at the honesty with which Amy and Matt have shared their story with the world. However, I do believe that the story could have been told better – the telling is a tad bit too trite and doesn’t completely pull the reader the reader in.

I’m giving it a 3/5 because it is worth reading by couples struggling in their marriage – it will give them hope that love and forgiveness does work!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.