How to Heal a Heart

The Friessens, Book 31

By: Lorhainne Eckhart

Narrated by: Mikaela Del Rey

Gabriel Friessen can’t shake his growing unrest at the idea that his seemingly perfect life is nothing but a lie he’s spent a lifetime running away from.

Even though he loves his wife and step-daughter and has a family who loves him, he suspects that to move forward, he needs to close the door on his past—namely, on the man who is his father, his real father, who turned his back on his mother and left her alone and pregnant in what seemed to be another lifetime, before he was born.

Just getting on with things is no longer as easy as it has been all his life. Andy Friessen adopted him, gave him his name, raised him, and loved him, but part of Gabriel needs to face the man who turned his mother away. His mother has moved on, and his brothers and sisters would never understand, but Gabriel knows that to find the peace he needs, he must confront his biological father before he spirals any further into guilt and anger.

©2019 Lorhainne Ekelund (P)2023 Lorhainne Ekelund

Gabriel's comeback

I downloaded the book because I was eager to read more about Gabriel, whose story moved readers in "The Deadline." The courageous boy that survived leukemia, thanks to the love and determination of his adoptive father, is now a grown man with his own family.
Gabriel decides to delve into his past and contact his biological father, trying to understand how he could have abandoned him and his mother all these years ago.
The book is about Gabriel struggling to balance his need to quiet his inner unrest with the fear of hurting the family he grew up in and loves.
The story is well crafted, and Gabriel's character does not disappoint. Many members of the Friessens' team surround him, giving life to an engaging and emotional story.
The spotlight is on Laura, Gabriel's mother, handling a difficult situation with care and determination.
The narrator makes it easy to distinguish the many characters in the story. I particularly liked the lively interpretation of Laura.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this audiobook. Opinions and comments are solely my own.