The Atonement Child explores the emotional and spiritual aspects of abortion through the fictional story of a young woman experiencing a crisis pregnancy. Author Francine Rivers drew on her own abortion experience and the stories of women she met at post-abortion support groups and crisis pregnancy centers while researching her subject. In a sense, The Atonement Child is their story. It mirrors the experiences of the many women who struggle daily with the trauma of past abortions.

As the novel opens, readers meet Dynah Carey, a bright, attractive young woman whose near-perfect world collapses when she is raped by a stranger in a park. When Dynah finds herself pregnant, she faces the agonizing question of whether or not to choose abortion.

Rivers skillfully portrays how even the most committed pro-life Christians can sometimes fail to support a woman in a crisis pregnancy. Everyone around Dynah her thinks that abortion is the only solution to her situation. As the pressure to abort mounts, Dynah finds herself abandoned by the very people who are supposed to love her most.

The Atonement Child deals with several complex issues: the question of evil, the pressures of a crisis pregnancy, abortion for the "hard cases," and the aftermath of abortion.

A major theme in the book is the effect that abortion has had on Dynah's family. Both her mother and grandmother have abortions in their pasts. Even years later, their abortions are still affecting their relationships.

The Atonement Child is well written, presenting the truth about abortion in a compassionate, nonjudgmental way. Except for one chapter where the characters engage in a lengthy discussion about the fallout from abortion, Rivers successfully avoids the "preachy" tone which can otherwise intrude into the natural flow of a story. She simply presents her story and allows readers to draw the natural conclusions.

Rivers says she wrote the novel not only for other women who struggle with the aftermath of abortion, but also for pro-life activists. She says she wanted "to help them to understand the sorrow [post-aborted] women feel every day and to have compassion" for them. She believes that thousands of women and men in our nation's churches grieve secretly over past abortions, afraid to share their feelings with others for fear of condemnation.

Rivers has won numerous awards for her writing, including two Rita Awards for Best Inspirational Romance from Romance Writers of America. The Atonement Child is her fifth novel.

-- Amy R. Sobie