Review: Bridge to Haven

Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Abra Matthews is abandoned under a bridge as an infant in the tiny town of Haven. She's rescued by the town's minister and he and wife foster her until she's 5 years old. But when her mother dies, her father realizes he's unable to raise her. He gives her to another family in town. Abra feels abandoned, unwanted, and unloved for the rest of her childhood, and when she's 16, a smooth-talking Adonis sweeps her off her feet. She runs away with him to Los Angeles, where she quickly learns what a horrible mistake she's made. She ends up falling into the hands of a successful Hollywood agent who molds her into "Lena Scott", his vision. Abra soon risks losing herself into his creation, and she begins to rebel. I think that my enjoyment of this novel was dimmed by the heavy-handed Christian evangelizing. The symbolism was overwrought, and while I did like Pastor Zeke, I found his son Joshua too good to be true. I think the author's message would be more effective if the reader wasn't constantly hit over the head with it.

View all my reviews