The Fragment

I understand. You want to know if I am ready to commit. And the answer is, that is what I want. More than anything.”

“Even without knowing what is behind my question?”

“I have known you all my life. My father and mother trust you. As do I.”

“Very well.” He pulled the pocket watch from his vest, flicked open the gold case, snapped it shut, then gripped her elbow as he steered her around. “In that case, we must change course. There is not a moment to lose.”

“Where are we going?”

“To the center of Paris fashion. The Rue Cambon.” He lifted his cane to hail a passing horse-drawn taxi. “We have precisely three hours to transform you into an American princess.”

Book: The Fragment by Davis Bunn, Franciscan Media, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Adults

Subjects: Loss, WWI, Prayer

Summary: Life has taken a turn for the dull. Muriel feels as though she is trapped in her local village, unable to achieve anything with her life. The war has brought some home, destroyed some, and left some in a state of waiting for their life to take off. When an old friend of her parents makes her an offer to join him in Paris, she eagerly accepts. Before long she senses there is more than what she sees and pushes to know the rest of it. Once she has gained the secrets the senator holds, her life is no longer waiting to take off. More is happening than she can keep up with! Intrigue, danger, romance, and a faith more real than she has ever imagined are now what her life is made up of.

Notes: This book contains an interesting element that has strong ties to Catholicism. The big focus in this book is discovering religious artifacts, particularly a piece of the actual cross Jesus died on. The claim is that the actual wood was taken and treasured by some of Jesus’ disciples and has been passed down through the centuries and is now available for viewing by those with special connections. Nothing in the Bible implies that people of this time cherished artifacts in this way or took down and saved actual pieces of wood from the cross, but the theory holds in the Catholic Church today. In the story, Muriel’s faith is strengthened greatly from viewing the piece of wood, although a huge part of that is a dream she has, not just taking pictures of a piece of wood. The character’s faith does seem to be in Jesus Himself rather than an object, not turning it quite into an idol. She prays, studies her Bible daily and seeks to let her relationship with Christ impact those around her as well.

There is another interesting element in the story – a character is presented who can’t recover from the loss he experienced during the war. Instead of turning to prayer and seeking healing from his hurt and pain, he cherishes it and lets it define him. Muriel is warned to be cautious in her interactions due to this, advice that is proved wise as the story plays out.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 3.5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.