As Good As She Imagined: The Redeeming Story of the Angel of Tucson, Christina-Taylor Green
When I received my advanced readers copy of As Good As She Imagined I knew this would be a difficult read. I expected the heart-wrenching story of a life cut short.
It is so much more.
For a brief moment the Greens allow America to be part of their family. I felt privileged as Roxanna and John (as well as friends and family) shared their life. It is in this `backstory’ where I become connected to the entire family, not through tragedy but through their everyday living.
Through the first half of the book, Roxanna strives (and succeeds) in providing a glimpse at her family. She talks as if talking to a friend and I found myself absorbed with the foundation she was building. A mother and wife, she shares her concerns, triumphs and pride in her children, husband and family.
But unlike life, I knew how this story would unfold.
There are no words to describe what I felt when reading her account in the hospital. I struggled to work through the pages and tears forced me to stop reading. I felt their loss, their pain, though I can never fully relate to the pain of the loss of a child.
She never once conveys hatred for the one who inflicted this horrific event on so many, though many would not blame her; instead, she gives him little credence, and chooses to preserve the fun and happy spirit that Christina-Taylor brought to so many, offering her spirit to God and her memory to the world.
As Good As She Imagined is a novel that needs to be read and remembered by all. It is a reminder of how precious life is, and how God helps sustain us, even through the pain of wounds that will never heal.
