The Sky Beneath My Feet by Lisa Samson

My Thoughts:

The Sky Beneath My Feet, by Lisa Samson, is all about "keeping it real" without completely losing your mind in the process.  Beth's husband, faced with a major life decision, has holed himself up in their backyard shed, her son is suspected of using drugs, and now her brother wants her to help "rescue" a young girl from a half way house.  The keys to a friend's beach house are in Beth's possession and escaping for a couple of days sounds like the perfect solution.  What is stopping her?

The Sky Beneath My Feet was a wild ride of a story.  My life has had it's crazy moments but I've never experienced anything like this family!  Eccentric neighbors, Rent a Mob friends, and the one and only Mother Zacchaeus are all cast in this book.  The main character, Beth, is interesting and refreshing.  The wife of a pastor, she tries desperately to be the "real" person that she is as opposed to hiding behind her husband, bible verses and the fish symbol on the back of her VW van.  Held under a microscope, as many pastor's wives are, she aspires to do her best.  Don't we all?  What makes Beth endearing is the way she deals with life's challenges- whether she succeeds or fails she learns from her experiences and moves on.  Her adventures are a slice of life that detail an ordinary family put through extraordinary conditions.  Told with humor and compassion, The Sky Beneath My Feet was a thought-provoking story.  Highly enjoyable!

Back Cover:

Beth's husband won't be joining the family on vacation at the beach this year. He's not even joining them in the house. Instead, Rick has holed up alone in the backyard shed. Nobody knows exactly what he's up to. Maybe he's immersing himself in prayer. Maybe he's lost his mind. Maybe he's even the modern-day prophet or the saint the neighborhood artist imagines him to be. But while "St. Rick" waits for an epiphany, Beth will have to figure out what to do with herself and their teenage sons, possibly for the rest of her life.

What happens next is both uproarious and bittersweet: a peace march turns violent, her son is caught with drugs, and she embarks on an ambitious road trip that turns into something nearly surreal. Will Beth rediscover the idealistic woman she used to be, once upon a time? Can her marriage survive Rick's backyard vigil? Will anything ever be the same? And should it be?

*I was given a copy of this book from Book Sneeze in exchange for my honest opinion.  No other compensation was received.*