About the Book

Book: Borrowed Lives

Author: Carol McClain

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Release date: March 2021

God Only Lends Us Those We Love for a Season

Distraught from recent tragedy, Meredith Jaynes takes pity on a young girl who steals from her. Meredith discovers “Bean” lives in a hovel mothering her two younger sisters. The three appear to have been abandoned. With no other homes available, Social Services will separate the siblings. To keep them together, Meredith agrees to foster them on a temporary basis.

Balancing life as a soap maker raising goats in rural Tennessee proved difficult enough before the siblings came into her care. Without Bean’s help, she’d never be able to nurture these children warped by drugs and neglect—let alone manage her goats that possess the talents of Houdini. Harder still is keeping her eccentric family at bay.

Social worker Parker Snow struggles to overcome the breakup with his fiancée. Burdened by his inability to find stable homes for so many children who need love, he believes placing the abandoned girls with Meredith Jaynes is the right decision. Though his world doesn’t promise tomorrow, he hopes Meredith’s does.

But she knows she’s too broken.

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My Thoughts:

Meredith Jaynes has had a life that I certainly would have wanted to run away from. Far away. But through her pain and suffering she stays at the same home she shared with her late husband and daughter and raises her goats. That is until one day her life is changed once again, not through tragedy for her, but through the helpless plight of three little girls. Girls who have been abandoned and most likely abused. Bean who is the oldest and eight, Roxie who is five, and little Crystal who seems to be around three and has obvious physical limitations.

These girls storm into Meredith's life and in ways make things more difficult and in other ways make life sweeter. She knows being their foster mom is only temporary and wonders if she will be able to take the heartbreak. Meredith has a wonderful back up system in her family. They were a little bit quirky but they opened their arms to these little girls, no questions asked.

Then there is Parker Snow the social worker who is also trying to get over his heartbreak. His mother keeps setting him up with dates and this new one seems to be the perfect woman for him. So why is he having so many doubts? I know I was really rooting for him and Meredith to find a connection.

This was sweet inspirational story that at times was hard to read. There was some gold nuggets of truth that waited to be uncovered in this story and I believe the author did a good job showing the beauty of life and second chances.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Carol McClain is the award-winning author of four novels dealing with real people facing real problems. She is a consummate encourager, and no matter what your faith might look like, you will find compassion, humor and wisdom in her complexly layered, but ultimately readable work.

Aside from writing, she’s a skilled stained-glass artist, an avid hiker and photographer. She lives in East Tennessee. Her most recent interests are her two baby goats Peanut & Buttercup. Like all babies, they love sitting on our laps and being bottle fed.

More from Carol

People.

Their lives are messy, destructive, full of mistakes.

Mostly, their lives are beautiful.

For years, I worked with recovering addicts. When I first heard their tales, shock and disbelief overwhelmed me. I couldn’t understand the pain inflicted upon them by addicted parents or what they did in their own lives.

Without Christ, no redemption could be found in their misery. Doesn’t sound like a fun read, huh? Many recover from their addictive patterns. In the interim, the foster care system serves their families wonderfully.

All these factors, coupled with the theme that lives are only leant to us for a season create a story of hope, humor and redemption.

Aside from seeing faith in Jesus change people’s lives—there are always goats.

I love goats, but my husband hesitated in including them in our lives. Seeing as I live the lives of my characters (I am daft), I gave my protagonist in Borrowed Lives Nubian goats. I raised them in my younger years, and by including them in my story, I could have goats vicariously.

Couple the above (redemption from addiction, foster care, and my obsession for goats) with my love of East Tennessee where the people are kind and friendly, and the scenery unparalleled, Borrowed Lives was born.