In This Moment
A Novel
-
-
5.0 • 4 Ratings
-
-
- $13.99
Publisher Description
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes an inspiring Baxter Family novel about a beloved high school principal who starts a Bible Study to improve the lives of his struggling students, only to become the national focus of a controversial lawsuit.
Hamilton High Principal Wendell Quinn wants to see real change in his community, so he starts a voluntary after-school Bible Study and prayer program called Raise the Bar. He knows he is risking his job by leading the program, but before long, Raise the Bar meetings are standing room only.
A year later, violence and gang activity are sharply down, test scores are up, and drug use and teen pregnancy have plummeted. The program is clearly working—until one parent files a lawsuit, claiming Wendell has violated his daughter's rights.
But Principal Quinn knows God is on his side, and he refuses to back down. As he prepares for court, he is deluged by a storm of national attention and criticism. He wants just one attorney on his side in the fight of his life—Luke Baxter.
A timely and nuanced exploration of religious freedom and what it means to be a person of faith in today’s culture, In This Moment will satisfy Kingsbury fans, old and new.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Fans of Kingsbury's Baxter Family collection will no doubt dive into this syrupy novel focusing on Luke Baxter, a lawyer specializing in religious freedom cases. A year after high school principal Wendell Quinn started a voluntary Bible study program at his troubled, low-performing Indianapolis public high school, test scores have risen and violence has dropped dramatically schoolwide. Cami Nelson, a junior devastated by her parents' recent separation, begins attending the Bible study under dubious pretenses: she is working covertly with her father to shut it down. He is motivated both by his secularist beliefs and spite toward his Christian wife. But even though Cami's life unexpectedly begins to improve thanks to her growing relationship with Jesus, her dad sues the school to end the program anyway. Enter Luke, whose dedication to defending the rights of Christians to practice their faith sometimes hampers his home life. Kingsbury provides ample context for the court case, explaining many recent cases concerning religious freedoms. But the legal proceedings often get lost in the froth of overwrought emotions typical of Kingsbury's love-conquers-all outlook. Readers of Kingsbury's previous books will be pleased to see recurring characters, including Luke's sister Ashley and niece Amy.
