The Sign Painter by Davis Bunn

Amy Dowell lost her beloved husband to cancer and if that was not enough stress and grief now she has lost her home to debt and she finds herself and her 5 year old daughter homeless, living out of their old camper and truck. Struggling to find work and having to be constantly on the move, Amy fears losing her most precious thing in the world, her daughter. On one of her stops at a church that offers breakfast and daycare, Amy tries to "sneak" through the line unnoticed but the center director finds her. Thinking she will be kicked out Amy instead finds a compassionate heart in Lucy who discerns her desperation and offers her an apartment and childcare so she can find a job. When she lands a job with a car dealership who's owner goes to the church Amy thinks she has finally had a chance to turn things around, but then she comes upon a discovery at her job that will find her having to deal with the very people she was trying to avoid, the police.

 This was inspired by a true story. It's an easy read but yet brings out the plight of the homeless we sometimes don't think about. We so easily associate homelessness with those who are substance abusers or certain groups of people but don't always realize or think about the homeless who are in that situation simply because of hard circumstances that have hit and are struggling to get back to some sense of normalcy. It is a vicious cycle of sorts and this book really brings that to light. It also explores the church's place in the fight against poverty and homelessness.  It's got a bit of mystery, a bit of romanace. You really realize Amy's plight and desperation as she is yet again faced with decisions through no fault of her own that could very well land her in a worse off place than she was before.

 A takeaway thought or quote from the book that I really liked was found on page 127:

 "...Paul knew the real mark of courage did not come in being unafraid but in not allowing fear to dominate" 

 This was spoken in regards to his job as a police officer and live action in that job, but it can very well be related to anything in life in general, I think.

I rated this 7.5/10