Unexpected Hope in Kingsbury's 'A Distant Shore'

I’ve been a fan of Karen Kingsbury for a while now, but A Distant Shore is one of my new favorites of hers! With a quickly paced plot, likable and relatable characters, and great overall development, it was a great easy read for my road trip up to Michigan. It is just over three hundred pages of love, betrayal, and, ultimately, hope.

Jack Ryder is an FBI agent, hungry for purpose. After losing his brother and parents, he recklessly goes on missions, not caring if he sees it through to the end. On the other hand, Eliza Lawrence is trapped by her father in one of the largest sex-trafficking rings in Belize. Jack and Eliza both crave death, thinking it’s the solution to their problems. However, when their paths cross one fateful day, everything changes—their hopes, dreams, and wills to live. Only one question remains: can God take the vilest events and turn them into good?

Characters and Character Development

Jack Ryder is A Distant Shore’s McDreamy. He’s tall, strong, an FBI agent, courageous. While he is the stereotypical hero, he has a grief-stricken past—he loses his brother and parents, leaving him orphaned and in military training. We first meet him as a fourteen-year-old boy with his family and a strong faith. However, as the next chapter dawns, he is a twenty-six-year-old young man with a broken hope in God.

Eliza Lawrence is the perfect, stereotypical love interest. Blonde hair, perfect body, admired by every man that spots her. What differentiates her from other girls, however, is that she is caught in sex trafficking at the age of nine. Even worse, the ring is led by her own father who, technically, kidnapped her from her mother. Though she is never sold, she is trained to lure young girls into the ring, a task she abhors.

At the beginning of the story, Jack refuses to ever fall in love, nevertheless get married. Likewise, Eliza is adamant about never getting married and having children. Considering I’ve read a few of Kingsbury’s other books prior to this one, I immediately knew the two would end up together and defy their original declarations. Most of her books are somewhat predictable, though I don’t think it’s a bad thing the majority of the time.

The overall character development was nothing out of the ordinary. Jack and Eliza find God together and quickly fall in love. In the end, their faith is renewed and they live happily ever after.

One of my favorite aspects of the story was the dual personalities Jack and Eliza had to wear as agents. It was fun to observe their interactions and guess what was true and what was a show. This was a unique twist that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Romance and/or *Spice*

One thing I truly appreciate about Kingsbury is that she keeps everything squeaky clean. Jack and Eliza shared several kisses, but several were for show. There was a scene where the two were in bed together though they kept their distance and were fully clothed. Only once did they get close, and it was when someone walked in on them when they were thought to be doing ~it~.

Violence

One guy is shot and killed, but that’s about as gory as it gets. Jack is an FBI agent so he’s on the frontlines of danger, but there really isn’t much violence considering his career.

Language and Dialogue

Again, I’d like to applaud Kingsbury’s point to keep things clean. There was no profanity or harsh talk. The dialogue was mostly natural, though a few lines just felt awkward as they didn’t go with the natural flow of speech. Overall, though, I enjoyed how much was revealed through dialogue, and I appreciated the careful use and lack of dialogue tags.

Spirituality

Kingsbury’s books are based on Christianity and centered around it. They aren’t stories with a dash of faith, but rather focus on how God works and the impacts He leaves. A Distant Shore is no exception.

Jack starts with a child-like faith until his family dies. Throughout the book, we see him come back to Christ. He consistently questions God and His actions until he encounters an angel named Beck that reminds him of God’s pursual and unending love. Jack then is on fire for God and quickly goes to tell Eliza.

Eliza, likewise, had faith as a child but severed herself from God after her mother and brother supposedly died. After Jack reintroduces her to God, she asks to be baptized in the ocean, which Jack happily does.

While the story wasn’t an eye-opening revelation of the good news of Jesus, I do think it is a great reminder for Believers that God never leaves. Likewise, I believe it could interest a nonbeliever enough to nudge them to get in the Word. All in all, Kingsbury once again outdid herself in staying true to the faith and being a light in this dark world.

Recommended Audience

While A Distant Shore will probably be enjoyed mostly by adults, I do think readers could go lower to fourteen or fifteen-year-olds. It was clean, engaging, and faith-centered. There wasn’t anything to be cautious of or anything to warn readers about. When you crack open a Karen Kingsbury novel, you can always be ready for a good, clean read!

Overall Conclusion

A Distant Shore was one of my favorite Kingsbury novels. I enjoyed the characters and their personalities. Most of all, I love that it brings attention to the serious problem of sex trafficking. Many people think it’s a past problem; in reality, it is a true, worldwide crisis. I encourage you to pray for girls trapped in trafficking and for their freedom. God hears!

All my love,

L. Taylor