Jeanne Bishop - Change of Heart - Reviewed 9/10/15

I received this from NetGalley, it is great to have a membership with them and get to read the latest books out before they hit the shelves. Change of Heart begins with tragedy: the murder of Jeanne Bishop's sister Nancy, along with Nancy's husband and their unborn child, in their home some twenty-five years ago. In her dying moments, Nancy wrote a message in her own blood at the crime scene: a heart shape and the letter "u," last words of love. When the killer, a local teenager, was arrested for the murders, he denied responsibility for the crime and showed no remorse. After the murderer was tried, convicted and sentenced, Bishop determined to forgive and then forget him. Bishop became a public defender, an outspoken opponent of capital punishment, and a supporter of the sentence her sister's killer received: juvenile life without the possibility of parole. All the while, she never once spoke the name of her sister's killer aloud, never tried to engage with him.

Then she met a law professor who gave her a book espousing a radical idea: that as Christians, we have an obligation to work to reconcile with those who have harmed us. Bishop challenged the book's author about that idea and was challenged in turn to take seriously the prayer of Jesus on the cross and move beyond simple forgiveness to the hard work of personal reconciliation. Change of Heart is the story of that uneven journey to confronting and reconciling with a murderer. The book takes on the larger issues of restorative justice, life sentences, and incarceration in the criminal justice system. It unflinchingly acknowledges the personal cost of advocating for mercy for people convicted of serious crimes. In the end, the book is a story of moving beyond mere forgiveness to the deeper waters of redemption and grace.

What did I like? This was a very interesting book. I have lost people in my family but never to the death of this nature. I can see the ups and downs with the grief but I had a hard time getting my head around the change in her feelings toward the killer. I was sensitive to her questioning her faith in supporting the killer in any possible way. In the end, I was completely turned to her way of thinking. So I think that if anyone was to read this they would be able to cope with the change and the sister’s decision.

What will you like? The first thing is the depth the author took this book to. It is well written in completely everyday language. The time that the author took telling her story and then the descriptions and explanations that she included took you from her feelings of the actual murder to the change of her heart in the end. This book is not for everyone and definitely, the explanation should be read before reading this book. There are no graphic scenes but the subject matter is very delicate. Justice, Mercy, and Making Peace with Her Sister's Killer

I honestly don't know if I could be as strong as Jeanne Bishop was in forgiving her sister, brother in law and their unborn child's killer. You really have to do some soul searching and praying in order to be able to forgive their killer. Jeanne is an outspoken opponent for capital punishment. When she forgives the killer, she forgets about him as well. That is all she wants to do, but what Jeanne is challenged to read a book and act as Christians are to act, things begin to change for her.

Could you forgive your sister, brother in law and their unborn child's murderer? I think I would have a really hard time with this one. Jeanne Bishop shows us in this book that it is achievable and you just have to have your heart in the right place to be able to do that. I think this is a great read and could even help those that are in the same position.

Wow. This book has certainly caused me to think about and reflect on what I believe about forgiveness. It is not an easy book to read due to the subject matter, as well as other stories Jeanne shares. Some of the brief descriptions of other crimes caused me to feel physically ill and overwhelmed with heavy feelings. However, I am glad that I read Jeanne's account and experience and I am grateful she has chosen to share it with us.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.