Readers seeking an honestDif flawedDChristian novel will appreciate this earnest effort. In smalltown Knolls, Mo., health crises abound: a seven-year-old girl is afflicted with cystic fibrosis; a despairing fireman's wife has attempted suicide; another woman has been beaten by her husband; an older man has suffered a stroke. Dr. Mercy Richmond and Dr. Lukas Bower tend these souls and bodies. Alexander (a pseudonym for a husband and wife writer-doctor team) manages to weave theological questions into this narrative with a light touch. When Mercy wonders why God allows Crystal to suffer so much, her musings are credible. Also refreshingly subtle is the attraction between Mercy and Lukas. While readers will divine the love interest early on, Alexander develops that plot line with subtlety.
