Discovering Peace was not a fast read, but the slow pace of the book fit well with the topic of adoption and redemption. I liked how real the characters were and enjoyed being with Allison as she struggled through the dating scene with the added complexity of a past many people judged her for.

This book let readers feel the pain on both the side of a birth mother and an adoptive mother. It highlighted the challenge to find love and acceptance in the LDS sphere after giving birth to a child out of wedlock and how it might feel to see the baby one gave birth to sealed to another mother. It dealt a lot with family and showed the difficulty Allison’s mother had adjusting to having her first grandchild given to another family. It also depicted how hard it is for an adoptive mother to face rejection after rejection as she tries to become the mother she feels God wants her to be and the solace the Savior’s Atonement provides.

I would recommend this book to LDS women who have a few minutes to spare for a story of love, hope, redemption, and peace. 

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Cedar Fort

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  A woman has a black eye her boyfriend gave her; a girl’s boyfriend is stabbed to death but the description is only a few sentences. 

Sex/Nudity:  Four teenagers have children out of wedlock; a man kisses and rolls a woman over onto a bed.  

Mature Subject Matter:

Unwanted pregnancy, theft, murder, illegal drugs, physical abuse. 

Alcohol / Drug Use:

A character stumbles into another person’s house both drunk and high twice; a character is killed due to a drug deal; a character buys beer for self and friends.