Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book to review by Family Christian. All opinions are my own.
Two of my indulgences: good coffee and good books. I absolutely love a great cup of coffee, especially when I am reading. So I was really excited to get a copy of Max Lucado’s “Miracle at the Higher Grounds Café” to read and review. I was curious how one of my favorite authors would be able to work coffee into a Christian fiction book, but he certainly did.
I couldn’t put the book down. It was that good.
At the time, I was on bed rest for a back injury. It took me a while to find a comfortable spot where the excruciating pain would subside enough for me to hold the book. But I did – yay, me! Then I opened the book and began to read. It was almost a good thing I had the injury, because if I needed to go to work or be productive, it was not going to happen until I finished the book – which took me less than two days.
The story begins with Chelsea Chambers heading back home to Texas with her two children. She had separated from her NFL football–star husband, and had a long road ahead of her as she took over her mother’s coffee shop. Mourning the loss of her mother and marriage, Chelsea dives into her new place in life, making cupcakes and lattes and struggling to balance it all, including a large IRS payment.
Max Lucado brilliantly takes the struggles most people face in their lives – joblessness, marital strife, parenting pressures, debt, family issues, loss and more – and weaves it into this story. Just as Chelsea is about to give up hope, she hires a clumsy guy who really has her back – and he helps her run the coffee shop and provides moral and spiritual support. He also gives the go-ahead to an Internet company who installs a free-trial Wi-Fi service that brings customers into the Higher Grounds Café in record numbers. This divine Internet connection is a direct line to God, and everyone who logs on to this connection gets the chance to ask Him one question, which He answers. Needless to say, business is booming, with lines out the door from start until close, until the night the modem is stolen. Once again, Chelsea is faced with the worry and stress of the business failing, in addition to the pressures of single parenting, dealing with family issues and trying to decide what she will do at this point in her life in regards to her marriage and career.
I think anyone who reads this book will feel the anxiety and stress of the main character, and can easily put themselves in her shoes. She feels completely alone in her battles. But once she types in her question to God and has her “a-ha” moment, she can see that she never was alone – that God was beside her the whole time.
If you are interested in purchasing a copy of this book, it is available at Family Christian stores as well as their online store. If you read this book – or have already read it, please share your comments in the section below. Happy reading!
© Lynne Cobb – 2015
