And It Came to Pass
by Laura Stone
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Pub Date May 01 2017 | Archive Date Aug 01 2017
Description
Adam Young is a devout Mormon whose life is all planned out, by both his strict father and his church. He follows the path they’ve established for him, goes off to his mission in Barcelona, Spain, and realizes that his life may not follow the trajectory already chosen for him.
His mission companion, Brandon Christensen, is a handsome, enthusiastic practitioner on the surface. But as their mission progresses, they both realize they have major questions about their faith… and substantial feelings for one another.
Advance Praise
"Their forbidden romance is perfectly set to the hot, wild backdrop of Barcelona—a location that complements their desire for each other…. A fine romance with a touch of political intent."
—Kirkus Reviews (5/8/17)
"Their romance is complicated and emotionally staggering, with layers of internal and external tension. I loved the detailed explanation and portrayal of Brandon and Adam’s daily life as missionaries, how they practiced their faith and struggled with it and kept trying to be worthy of the expectations placed on them."
—Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
"And It Came to Pass is a raw and powerful story revealing two things: gay people fall in love just like everybody else, and we as Mormons have a long way to go in understanding this. Our own experience of love will not be complete until we do."
—Carol Lynn Pearson, bestselling author of Goodbye, I Love You
Marketing Plan
* National publicity campaign
* Online blog tour
* Goodreads and Rafflecopter giveaways
* Direct marketing to independent booksellers
* Multi-platform e-book sales
* Publisher promotion at conventions and book festivals
* Select author appearances, including ALAAC17 and Salt Lake City Comic Con
* Cross-promotion with author website (laura-stone.com)
* Social networking campaign, including tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and other platforms
* Online reader's guide for book clubs
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781945053153 |
| PRICE | $15.99 (USD) |
Links
Featured Reviews
P. M, Reviewer
Adam and Brandon meet in Barcelona, Spain where they are serving as missionaries for the Church of Later Day Saints (LDS or Mormons). Young Mormon men and women serve for two years in missions all around the globe and are paired up with instructions to always have your mission companion by your side. Missionaries live by an extensive list of regulations and requirements: black pants, white shirts and ties for men, no television, all email communications are via the church and are monitored regularly, no swimming, only half-court basketball games, no games where scores are kept, men ride bikes, women get cars, living in LDS-provided apartments, weekly meetings with their team and regular meetings with the Mission President, daily personal bible study, etc.
Adam's parents are very strict and frankly joyless and Adam has always felt lacking in his faith, as defined by both the church and his parents. Living with Brandon opens his eyes: "Was this how other people lived every day? With joy and ease and camaraderie?" But as they become good friends, Adam becomes aware of his deeper feelings for Brandon:
"The hints of what may lie deep within himself terrified him. The thoughts he'd carefully kept locked away, thoughts he never entertained except in frustrating dreams that left him cold and horror-stricken upon waking; those thoughts could lead to his eternal damnation."
The author of And It Came to Pass has serious "cred" regarding LDS. Her great-great grandfather became a Mormon in the 1840's and she grew up very devout but has since backed away from the church and "now that all three of my children have come out as LGBT, I'm grateful I did not saddle them with a faith that does not want them." Through the book she raises questions about Mormon doctrine and wonders why a church that claims to be all about the family makes parents choose between their church and their queer children. Here's a terrifyingly sad statistic - Utah currently has a suicide rate among teens 4 times higher than the national average.
The plot of this story held my interest every page of the way and while the book provides a great background on LDS beliefs, it didn't feel slow or awkward. There is little on-page sex, which completely fits into how Adam and Brandon struggle with their faith as they slowly find their way to a new awareness of what it means to love:
"Good things were from God and God was love. God was goodness and happiness, and he felt those things more strongly when he was with Brandon that he'd felt anything else in his entire life."
5 stars for And it Came to Pass and as Laura Stone says in the last lines of the book : To anyone struggling as an LGBTQ person in the LDS faith : You're not alone, you're enough just as you are, and you're loved.
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