REVIEWS

Through It All
by Christina Lim
Partridge Publishing Singapore

book review by Amanda Hanson

“They say bad things come in a group of threes.”

This book relates the story of Christine Buffay, also known as “Tris.” She is married to Jordan, and they have three children named Tamara, Samara, and Christopher. One day, Tris and Jordan attend a doctor’s appointment. The doctor reveals some shocking news, Jordan has leukemia and has a slim chance of surviving this cancer. At home, Jordan refuses to reveal the truth to their children, but Tris convinces him otherwise. When the children return from summer camp, Tris and Jordan tell them the truth. The kids are confused and at a loss. Later on, Tris learns she is pregnant, but this pregnancy might put her and her unborn child at risk. Sadly, she miscarriages the baby. Shortly after, Jordan’s cancer spreads faster than expected, so he is hospitalized. Throughout this journey, Tris does her best to stay strong for her family through thick and thin.

Lim dives deeply into the protagonist’s emotions when confronted with difficult situations. For example, when Tris learns about her husband’s diagnosis, she does not show her she truly feels. Instead, she masks her emotions with her sassiness. Similarly, the author explores Tris’s internal battles about keeping the baby. She worries that the baby might kill her if she carries on with this pregnancy and leave her kids as orphans if Jordan does not survive. As a result, she turns to God to give her answers to her questions. In addition, a character trait that Lim describes perfectly is Tris’ ability to guide others despite her tough times. For instance, this is seen when a patient’s wife goes to Tris for advice about how she copes with her situation with her husband. Readers will appreciate this book because it conveys the message of never giving up hope through hard times.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review