Tiger Lillie
Lisa Samson
Waterbrook, Oct 2004, $12.99, 320 pp.
ISBN: 1578565987

Lillie Bauer, admittedly a bit plump, is in terrific physical shape and is doing well with her florist business. However, her love life seems in the tank as she still moans over her childhood hero and sweetheart Ted, who vanished fifteen years ago just after they graduated from high school. No man has come close when compared to the legendary Ted.

Lillie worries about her beloved sister Tacy, whose spouse, Rawlins McGregor, is abusive to her and their young child Hannah. Not sure what to do, Lillie receives help from family, business associates, friends, and Gordon, a new man in her life. Still she believes her sibling and her niece need a miracle to survive the increasingly volatile Rawlins. She wonders whether her prayers to God can be answered through the Temperance Church of the Apostles filter or should she heed the advice of her support group by cutting out the questionable middle man by praying directly and interceding with her sibling's family?

The tale starts slow, but once the storyline boils, readers obtain a deep look at a dysfunctional family, the role of the church, and the belief that there are no atheists in the foxhole. When Lillie realizes the crisis has become dangerous, she turns to God and prays for a miracle, especially for the two McGovern females. Told in rotating chapters by the two sisters, fans will see how love and belief offer solace when tragedy occurs.

Harriet Klausner