Reading The Painted Table

A few months ago I went to Baker Book House (my favorite, favorite, favorite book store in the whole world) to find something new to read.

Can I just tell you how good Baker has been to me? They have given me shelf space and recommended both Paint Chips and My Mother’s Chamomile to book clubs and church libraries. They are huge supporters of local authors. And they are my friends. (sigh) I always feel loved there.

Back to my trip to the book store (a dangerous pass time…I know {what Disney movie is that from?}).

Now, I am vain. So. Very. Vain. But I hear tell that other authors (big name authors, no less) do this very same thing when they visit a book store. I always walk to the bookcase that holds my books. I look at them out of the corner of my eye, hoping not to be too obvious. It’s silly, I know. And it’s a whole lot less awkward when my kids are with me because they ask to visit the books.

Anyway, a few months ago, when I visited my sweet first novels I noticed that the next door neighbor to Paint Chips was a book called The Painted Table. The author’s name? Suzanne Field.

Paint Chips. The Painted Table.

Susie Finkbeiner. Suzanne Field.

Too cool. I had to buy Suzanne’s book.

Saturday I read The Painted Table. Yes. The whole thing on Saturday. I couldn’t stop reading it. It resonated with me that much. I found within the pages a beautiful story, characters who were trying to find redemption, raw emotion.

I’m glad I picked it up. Glad I read it.

Suzanne wrote a book which is out of the box for Christian fiction. Yes, it is written from a Christian worldview. Yes, redemption is a major part of the plot. But The Painted Table is a character driven story, something not often found in Christian fiction.

Character driven story is less about plot moving along (this happens and then this happens which causes this to happen) and more about how the character is transformed, typically from the inside out. I truly appreciated the literary quality of Field’s book.

If you’re looking for a book this touching and introspective and, in the end, soothing, you’ll want to pick up this book. And when I say “pick up” I mean buy it. Support authors/artists/musicians with your purchases.

I’m glad to have her book on my shelf at home. And I’m super honored to have Paint Chips as a next door neighbor to The Painted Table at Baker.

*I bought this book with my own money…well…the money my husband and I share. No one asked me to write the post. I receive nothing but warm fuzzies from helping another author out.