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When a narrator opens her tale by declaring, “I lost my sanity buying frozen apple juice,” the reader knows she’s in for a witty ride. . . Leah is steered into rehab by her BFF Molly, which kicks off transformation through growing honesty, self-awareness, and large doses of wry humor. Allan draws many strong, quirky minor characters: Leah’s rehab roomie, Theresa, one of a rehab unit’s worth of addicts of all manner of substances; Leah’s wry obstetrician, Dr. Nolan. . . This nonformulaic look at the spiritual redemption of a life is a bright start; debut novelist Allan is one to watch. (Feb.)
Publisher's Weekly -
Whether tragedy, angst, or a breakdown, Southern women know how to survive with panache. Christa Allan infuses that Southern charisma into her writing, giving us a captivating read. Alcoholism is a dark subject, yet Allan brings it right up to the very edge, and then pulls us back into the light with Leah's own brand of humor. Never depressing, Walking on Broken Glass is definitely a page-turner with all the emotions an alcoholic experiences. Novel Reviews and I give it a high recommendation.
Ane Mulligan - Editor, Novel Journey -
A smashing debut novel! Achingly beautiful, vividly real, Walking on Broken Glass will grab you from the first page with its depiction of a woman who must learn to surrender to gain her life back. A story of hope and healing, it will leave you inspired, entertained, and wanting more from Christa Allan.
Jenny B. Jones - Award winning author of Just Between You and Me and A Charmed Life series -
Walking on Broken Glass was incredible. I haven't reviewed such an honest and insightful novel in years. Having worked in several rehabs in the past I can attest to the fact that this author has done her research. She has masterfully captured the heart of someone who has had so much pain in her life that she did whatever was necessary to deaden the pain. Without the Lord, however, that usually ends up manifested in self-destructive behavior, such as addiction. I loved how the author showed clearly how families directly influence behavior. If a parent was withdrawn, people often marry a person who is equally withdrawn or passive. It's not what they want, but it's all they know.
Michelle Sutton - Multi-published author and book reviewer
I loved that this book gave Leah a voice and she was able to discover who she was underneath her various roles and her stuffed pain. The reader discovers her heart right along with her. And the responses she feels to those revelations is so genuine. There is no fluffy Christian-sounding denial here. While Jesus heals, this story shows that we must work at recovery (of any sort) and that faith is there to gives us legs to stand on, but we must still take each step. I loved that about this book. I also loved the issues between her and her husband. I've met so many women who have just submitted to "get it over with" and then they wonder why they despise their spouse when the layer of numbing addiction is removed.
This novel impressed me so much that it is making my best of 2010 fiction list. More Christian fiction should be this real. The faith journey was perfectly done and the ending made sense. I'd love to see a sequel to this story, but if there isn't one, I'm still satisfied. I am definitely paying attention when this author has new releases and I'm going to review each title as they come out. Walking on Broken Glass is highly recommended, especially for readers who know people who are struggling with addiction and want to understand them better. -
I just wanted to write to you and tell you how your very special work Walking on Broken Glass has resonated with me. I am enrolled in Margie Lawson's current ECE class (180 + students). I was doing some Internet surfing to find background information on the course. I found an interview with Margie with the Five Scribes people. Four lines of your "Walking on Broken Glass" were included there, and I knew that I just had to read the rest of the piece. I emailed Margie at her home address and requested the full piece. She very graciously took the time to forward the whole work to me.
Lesley Ann Lawrence
May I just say that it is one of the most moving pieces of writing that I have ever read. I put it right up there with "In Flanders Field." Keep writing, you are very, very good.