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Book Review: The Moment Between by Nicole Baart

May 6, 2009 by Darlene

The Moment Between by Nicole Baart is an intense, emotional story about mental illness, tragedy, obsession and the fine lines in between. It will tug at your heart and leave you feeling like you’ve just read one of those really good books that you aren’t soon going to forget. I was mesmerized by this story. Nicole’s writing is beautiful, her characters achingly real and her descriptions so vivid you feel sure you are right there in the scene being played out.

The novel weaves back and forth between Abigail and her sister Hailey’s childhood to the present. The girls really had a very dysfunctional family life for many reasons. One being that their father, while barely recognizing Abigail as his daughter, completely dotes on Hailey. Hailey, a beautiful girl who enchants everyone she meets, has a severe mental illness. The family basically lives on a roller coaster of Hailey’s ups and downs. It doesn’t help that both parents are really clueless when it comes to handling mental illness. They really wanted only to sweep it under the rug. Abigail knew that couldn’t be done but at the same time she really couldn’t understand completely what her sister was going through or how to help her. Abigail was resentful in many ways of how Hailey dominated everyone’s life and yet loved her so much. These highs and lows of Hailey’s life continue to affect both hers and Abigail’s lives into adulthood and beyond.

The novel starts with a bang when we become aware of a tragedy that hits Abigail’s family, something so devastating that it begins to consume Abigail’s very life pushing her beyond where she would normally go into the world of obsession. Abigail is a single young woman with a partnership in an accounting firm. She’s successful and OK with life as it is but now the once stable woman finds herself on the hunt to find the object of her obsession: Tyler Kamp. She has her reasons for wanting to exact revenge on this man and she’s determined to find him at all costs. Abigail finds herself in Canada on her quest to find Tyler; more specifically in British Columbia. She ends up at Thompson Hills Estate-a vineyard. She finds much more than she anticipated when she arrived-she finds friends and she begins to find her way back to God.

While the story is riveting, so are the descriptions of the vineyard and wine making. I am a wine lover myself and I absolutely loved reading about it. I learned about the Terroir, which is a French term meaning taste of the earth. This quote summed it up perfectly…

  • ‘Terroir is the uniqueness of the where. Where the vine is planted and what is enacted upon it throughout every stage of its life will ultimately determine the end result of the wine. In a way, you could say that terroir is home.’ (pg 213, The Moment Between by Nicole Baart, ARC-final published copy may differ)

There are so many wonderful passages but I’ll only share a few…

  • ‘But here, the air was stark and clear, so achingly pure that she found herself convinced that she could have slipped a hand out of the window to pluck a dazzling sequin from the glorious fabric of the darkness’. (pg 71, The Moment Between by Nicole Baart, ARC-final published copy may differ)
  • ‘She was behind me, her arms thrown over my shoulders in casual intimacy and her cheek pressed against my temple. Her rich skin was flawless and almost exotic next to my own pale complexion. Her eyes were a piercing and cloudless blue in contrast to my muddy brown ones. We smiled up at the photographer with mismatched grins; hers was radiant and white, mine a thin-lipped and slightly crooked smirk. We exhibited more than enough differences to prove that we were the perfect contradiction. Light and dark. Night and day. Yin and Yang. And against all odds, paired by blood. Sisters.’ (pg 69, The Moment Between by Nicole Baart, ARC-final published copy may differ)

There is no way to encompass this book in a review. It simply must be read. I think it’s that good. It’s classified as Christian fiction but really until the end you wouldn’t know it. I myself love to read Christian fiction so that was another part of this novel I liked. What it shows us is how our faith can sometimes be tested and yet ultimately we will find our way back to God. In many ways this novel really brings to light mental illness and it’s devastating effects on a family. Sometimes there is no way to help a person suffering from a mental illness-we can’t possibly understand the loneliness, darkness and the need to escape from it all. This is an excellent novel and one that I would definitely recommend.

You can visit Nicole’s website here and her blog here. You can buy this book here in the US and here in Canada. Please be sure to join me tomorrow as I welcome Nicole with a guest post and a giveaway. To end, I’ll leave you with this amazing book trailer…

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Filed Under: 100+ Reading Challenge 2009, 2009 ARC Reading Challenge, 2009 Book Reviews

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sandy Nawrot says

    May 6, 2009 at 11:39 am

    It doesn’t get any more glowing than that! It seems, though, that you would definitely have to be in the right mood for something like this. The fact that the premise includes wine doesn’t hurt! Great review Dar!

  2. Kaye says

    May 6, 2009 at 11:46 am

    Hi Princess Dar, I’ve given you an award. Stop by for the logo when you get a chance. Have a great day!

  3. RAnn says

    May 6, 2009 at 11:55 am

    Nicole Baraat’s writing is extraordinary; she is a true artist of the written word. I reviewed this book here: http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/2009/05/moment-between-my-review.html

  4. Jess says

    May 6, 2009 at 12:37 pm

    Wow, this book sounds intense… thanks for the review.

  5. Anna says

    May 6, 2009 at 2:20 pm

    Thanks for bringing this one to my attention. I like Christian fiction that isn’t preachy or obvious. I’ll have to keep this one in mind. Great review!

    –Anna
    Diary of an Eccentric

  6. itsJUSTme-wendy says

    May 6, 2009 at 2:38 pm

    Wow, this sounds like a really good book. Just the kind of book I like to read. Very good review, Dar!

  7. Serena says

    May 6, 2009 at 2:42 pm

    Psst…I’ve given you an award!

  8. lilly says

    May 6, 2009 at 2:58 pm

    I am so getting this book. I love reading books dealing with mental illness and it’s also Christian fiction, one of my faves.
    Thanks for the review.

  9. Nely says

    May 6, 2009 at 3:30 pm

    I have this one on my shelves. Great review – now I'm really looking forward to reading it.

    ♥ Nely

  10. Wanda says

    May 6, 2009 at 4:05 pm

    This will be another must read for me although, I’d like to put a little more time between it and Tomato Girl.

    Personally, I tend to ignore labels like YA and Christian Fiction. Some labels kind of bother me, a good book is a good book regardless of where they’re grouped in the bookstore or placed in the library.

    Great job with this review, Dar! I anticipate another emotionally griping read when I do get around to The Moment Between.

  11. Ti says

    May 6, 2009 at 4:36 pm

    I enjoy well developed characters and your use of the phrase “achingly real” caught my attention. This looks like a good one. Mental illness is extremely hard to deal with. There is a lot of resentment and pain associated with it so a well written treatment of it is hard to ignore.

  12. Jo-Jo says

    May 6, 2009 at 4:37 pm

    What a great review Dar! This one definitely sounds like a must read.

  13. Scrap girl says

    May 6, 2009 at 6:05 pm

    Wow – stunning review. I am very impressed by thsi book already. It covers so much. Can’t wait to hear what Nicole has to say tomorrow.

  14. Toni says

    May 6, 2009 at 6:05 pm

    Another beautiful review Dar. Thank you. I appreciate the time and diligence in your reviews.

  15. Missy says

    May 6, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    Great review! I must read this book!

  16. Nicole Baart says

    May 6, 2009 at 6:43 pm

    Thanks so much for this lovely review, Dar! And I’m so glad that you like wine, too. I worried a little about sending the post for tomorrow. 😉

    Warmly,
    Nicole

  17. Zibilee says

    May 6, 2009 at 6:49 pm

    I absolutely have to read this one. Your review was amazing, and I am really looking forward to getting my hands on a coy of this book! Thanks for letting me know about this book.

  18. mindy says

    May 6, 2009 at 6:56 pm

    from your review you made the book sound totally riveting thanks for the giveaway

  19. Red lady-Bonnie says

    May 6, 2009 at 7:46 pm

    Great review Dar. This sounds like a great book…your comments that it was “mesmerizing”, and “achingly real” have grabbed my attention. I’ll be adding this one to the wishlist.

  20. Dar says

    May 6, 2009 at 10:22 pm

    Nicole, thanks so much for stopping by and your welcome but it’s me who should thank you for this great book. I can’t wait to read your others now. Aaah yes, I’m a wine lover so your post was great and I do like how it ties in with a big part of the novel.

    Sandy, it’s the whole Miss Sunshine thing. lol. When I really like a book I get very excited.

    RAnn, Nicole’s writing is indeed beautiful.

    Anna, this novel definitely isn’t preachy. It just has the Christian element woven in.

    Wendy, I think you might like this one. Make sure to check back tomorrow for the guest post and giveaway.

    Lily, I really enjoy Christian fiction as well. I also think any book bringing to light mental illness and all it does to families is well worth reading.

    Nely, I look forward to your thoughts on the book.

    Wanda, yes you need a bit of a rest after Tomato Girl. I think you’d like this one. I agree with you on labels-a good book is a good book no matter what.

    Ti, I really found Nicole wrote her characters in such a way that they find their way into your mind and heart. I really like that in a book.

    Everyone else, thanks so much for stopping by and reading my review and liking it! If you ever get to read it please pop back and let me know.

  21. Melody says

    May 6, 2009 at 11:51 pm

    Great review, Dar!
    This sounds like a book I want to read! Will add it onto my wishlist! 🙂

  22. The Book Resort says

    May 7, 2009 at 3:04 am

    What a great book.

  23. jemscout425 says

    May 7, 2009 at 5:35 am

    this book sounds like an emotional rollercoaster. i bet it makes me cry.
    pksanddancer@yahoo.com

  24. A Stationary Addict says

    May 7, 2009 at 5:56 am

    It does sound intense. Would love to give it a nice long read & then pass it on to my sister.

  25. bermudaonion says

    May 7, 2009 at 12:30 pm

    Wow, that sounds like a powerful book. Great review.

  26. Staci says

    May 9, 2009 at 1:06 am

    Excellent review Dar. You’ve made me want to seriously read this one. I like to read Christian fiction too. I’ll be on the look-out for this at the library!!

  27. Teddy Rose says

    May 9, 2009 at 6:17 am

    Outstanding review Dar. You just sold me on it. Sounds wonderful!

  28. samantha.1020 says

    May 10, 2009 at 12:55 am

    This sounds like a really interesting read. What a great review Dar!

  29. Jenny Girl says

    May 10, 2009 at 1:31 am

    Brilliant review Dar!
    Sounds like a lovely book.

  30. naida says

    May 11, 2009 at 8:02 pm

    it does sound good, great review.
    I like the quotes you listed.
    http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

  31. Thoughts of Joy says

    May 11, 2009 at 9:49 pm

    I have this book on my TBR List – you’ve made me want to have it on my TBR Shelf! 🙂

  32. Dar says

    May 19, 2009 at 1:04 am

    Everyone thanks for your compliments on my review. If you do get the chance to read this book, drop back and let me know. I’d love to know your thoughts.

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