Author: Fiona McCallum
ISBN: 9781743692400
RRP: $29.99
Fiona McCallum has penned six Australian bestsellers, Leap of Faith is her seventh novel and set in the picturesque Adelaide Hills.
All of the books I have read by McCallum have been set in South Australia but this is the first in my neck of the woods. I’m not sure exactly where the farm is but I’m familiar with the surrounding towns and the roads mentioned so it had a very familiar feel to me right from the start.
I am not sure where my headspace is at just of late but it is affecting my reading and my empathy with heroines. I enjoyed the premise of Leap of Faith which has McCallum’s signature writing style and well drawn characters. Her animals are characters in their own right and you can’t help but be drawn to them. My issue was I couldn’t connect to lead character Jessica, I couldn’t get past some of her attitudes and decisions.
In the early pages Jessica has a traumatic accident in the middle of a horse riding event; leaving her hospitalised but thankfully her horse Prince suffers only a few scratches. Jessica’s broken ankle means she is out of action for six weeks with little to occupy her. The extremely capable, physical and independent Jessica is unable to ride, unable to teach and perhaps the most frustrating she is unable to care for her horses or help husband Steve on the farm.
All of this time off her feet gives Jessica way too much time to think, and to question EVERYTHING. A lot of her self evaluation is to be expected and completely natural but it seemed to me that she got a little melodramatic about it all for a while there. Jessica is concerned about the loss of condition in her horses and all of the extra responsibility on her husband looking after them so she rushes into a decision that those around her think she will come to regret. And, to top it all off she tries to isolate herself at home away from the entire horse community, and her town, because she’s not ready to face anyone.
Jessica is given time to look at her career so far and analyse what she has achieved, and why. Her pit of self-pity is quite deep but I think it needed to be for her to grow and tackle things from a different angle. The time and distance from her competition offer a very different perspective and allow her to recognise things she had never noticed throughout her career, and her rash decision allowed a second chance at happiness.
Faith is the rundown and forlorn horse Steve brings home from a clearing sale, after Jessica has sold hers. There’s a lot at play here and it seems quite obvious that Steve picked up the horse to try and rekindle Jessica’s passion but she is determined to keep her distance. It turns out that Faith affected Steve in a way he wasn’t expecting and he just couldn’t bear to leave the horse behind.
Every character has a story and Faith is no different, her story is heartbreaking and she too needs a second chance. The slow unfolding of Faith’s story broke my heart. It was beautiful to watch the blossoming relationship and growth of trust between Faith and Jessica as they both had a lot to learn.
Leap of Faith is an aptly named and beautifully told story of love, loss and second chances. It tells a tale of self discovery and demonstrates the need for honesty and the importance of in sickness and in health, and sharing with your partner because trying to hide it and struggle through alone hurts both of you.
A beautiful weekend read for a journey to the lush greenery of the picturesque Adelaide Hills.
Leap of Faith is book #14 for Australian Women Writers Challenge 2015.
For more about Fiona and to get a look at all of her titles you can find her on Facebook, her website and the Harlequin website.
We have copies of Leap of Faith to giveaway to 5 of our lucky readers. If you want to be one of them tell us in the comments below about an injury that had you out of action and appreciating all the things you take for granted.
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I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
I fell down a set of timber stairs my husband had restored and polished I will admit I had socks on at the time so my own fault I broke my tail bone and it was so sore and had to heal itself actually I was in agony
Playing volleyball at our local competiton and I hit the ball incorrectly hurting my left thumb at the base. My husband who was running the comp says youll be right, no biggy after I asked for ice. Next day my hand was black and as we are self employed, no work for me for a week. Serves him right, at least he found out the hard way how much I do!
Mine is an injury to my right knee 2 years ago. Gone are the days when you can spring out of bed, bend down with your knees to pick something up in a feminine way, getting into a car with dignity, even taking the dog for a walk is a go zone. When you can’t do something is when you totally appreciate what you miss dong. I have just recently had a total right knee reconstruction and now am learning how to actually walk again with the knee. It’s going take 3-6 months but I miss doing what I love.
I was in a bad car accident as a teenager. I had broken bones and stitches so when I was healed I really appreciated things like a shower, water running over my face, being able to lift my arms up to wash my own hair. Lots of little mundane things that you don’t think about but when you can’t do them you really miss them.
I dislocated my knee and also got a dvt from it, so I really appreciated the easy things in life, just being able to walk normally.
Drive a car and playing sport.
I broke my foot after tripping over when selling avon door to door – I was in a moonboot for 18 weeks and still cant bend my toes as it was right where my toes meet my foot.
I really appreciated all the aid I got from family and friends and even at events like Oz Comic Con where the staff were offering me a seat while I waited in line
This is happening now. I have re injured my lower lumbar (back) and the pain each day is debilitating. Being an older person, my recovery time will be longer than when I was 30-40 but with pain medication, heat rubs and wheat bags this will get better. What I miss most is riding my bike, kayaking and simply taking my dog for a walk. I will do those things I have taken for granted but for now it’s slow and easy.
My injury was a broken ankle, I was going to feed a couple of poddy calves with my grandson who was only four at the time when I tripped on a rock and broke my ankle in two places which I received a plate and rod inserted the next afternoon. I had to get my grandson to go back to the house, which would have been 200 metres to get my handbag with my mobile phone. He struggled back with my heavy handbag. As I live on a property out of town he was my hero that afternoon. You don’t realise how much you need your legs. I admire anyone who has ever had a limb removed.
When I was 15 i was knocked off my bike. At first it was thought I had broken my neck, but after a day or two it was found that I had not broken my neck, but other serious damage was done. I could not lift my head off the pillow for days. I had 3 fractures to my upper jaw and a badly broken nose. After quite a few surgeries I got back into my normal routine. My year 11 was a blur at the time, but I still passed my subjects, just!
Now, 35 years later, I have no recollection of the event, just the recovering and the consequences of the broken jaw. I have never let it get me down and see it as just a hurdle, that was to prepare me dor the years to come (including caring for my 2 year son who was diagnosed with cancer).
Every day is a blessing, and I know that every moment is precious. My mum always said ‘All good things come to those who wait’ and it’s true. She also taught me to remain positive, always!
I live in a caravan and went out one night to the amenities, I forgot the dog was tied up in the annexe as it was raining and tripped over her lead. I literally went flying and landed face down in the gravel. I had to go to emergency and have the gravel washed out of my face, hands and knees, and a few bandages later I went home. I still have a scar across my nose where the skin was ripped off. I am extra careful now.