Defining Moments

April 3, 2006
In this sequel to The Prodigal Husband, Thomas reintroduces readers to protagonist Sheila Moore. Several years have elapsed since her affair with her business partner, Jake Madison. Now 42, Sheila, a wealthy African-American beauty, is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She tells Jake she needs to take a leave of absence from their firm, but doesn't divulge anything about her health. Shortly after her diagnosis, she strikes up an unexpected friendship with Nicholas, an author who happens to be a close friend of Jake's wife, Tori. Unsurprisingly, there is little love lost between the two women, and Tori tries to dissuade Nicholas from spending time with her erstwhile rival. But Nicholas genuinely cares about his new friend, and eventually their relationship turns romantic. Will Sheila and the Madisons be able to forgive past wrongs? Will Sheila discover the rich Christian faith shared by all the other characters? Devotees of contemporary Christian fiction will not have much trouble guessing the answers. Thomas draws persuasive characters, but fails to offer the necessary backstory for this sequel to stand alone; readers not familiar with The Prodigal Husband will have to struggle through 100 pages before fully understanding everything that went on before.