Return to Baragula by Mary Hawkins

Return to Baragula is a Christian single title romance that confronts big issues. Sin, condemnation, judgment, forgiveness, faith and hope, what sacrifices and choices the Christian believer in today’s world might make in his or her pursuit of godliness, and how the actions of the one can impact on the many. The progression of the love story encompasses these issues and more.

The story of Emily and Matthew is uncompromisingly Australian with an in-depth depiction of small-town church community life in Australia today. Multi-published and award winning author Mary Hawkins draws on her many years as a minister’s wife, nurse, and member of a Christian community to build the world of the Baragula church community. Matthew is a doctor. Emily is a nurse. They have a past that has hurt them both, and impacted on a lot of people around them. The issues raised in the book are deep ones, the portrayal of feelings and attitudes and relationships so closely intertwined you see wheels, within wheels, within wheels as the story progresses and you begin to realise how each person faces their own personal challenges to develop and grow and how a single catalyst can impact on so many people.

There were times I thought some of the characters were unfair to others, and I think that was the whole point, that in the reality of human relationships love can be messy, difficult, hurtful, and the way we deal with the blows life gives us is what shapes us and makes us strong. The character growth was substantial, and where I started out wanting to bang heads at times, I ended up with a sense of empathy and understanding as the age old 'struggle for perfection versus the reality of imperfection' played out in each of the characters.

Whether Return to Baragula is your kind of story or not, whether it polarises you, challenges you, or affirms your core beliefs, the actions of the characters, their ups and downs, flaws, behaviours, struggles and growth will make you think, look at yourself, your life, your belief system and the way you want to examine, interact with and dwell in this world.

A challenging novel by Mary Hawkins.

Jennie