Tears in a Bottle

by Sylvia Bambola

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This book details the agonizing decision of a young woman to have an abortion against her will. On the advice of parents who want her to attend the prestigious college she gained admittance to and a boyfriend who considers it her decision and responsibility and not his, Becky goes to the abortion clinic and then must live with the decision to end the life inside her. It is this decision that haunts her, not the other disasterous events that took the lives of several workers in the abortion center that day. The author graphically, and without apology, describes the emotions of many different people involved in abortions from very different perspectives. She describes the experiences of people within the "harvesting" industry who rely on aborted fetuses to provide important tissue for new research. She deals with the monetary side of abortion and the abortion clinics who make money from the "selling" of such fetuses, especially those that are "further along" in weeks of gestation. She depicts the lives of people on the other end of abortion who offer services and support groups to those who realize the full reality of what they have done and need help recovering, and most of all, help finding the forgiveness of God and of themselves. It even deals with the "radicals" who bring more violence into the whole situation in their way of trying to prevent the violence done to the babies through bombs and shootings at abortion clinics. It clearly demonstrates that their position is also wrong. One act of violence does not solve another. The author also includes the perspective of a Christian who works to bring about new legislation to prevent abortions through the government. She deals with the family members of abortion doctors, showing how abortion affects everyone who is touched by it in one way or another. The author provides detailed descriptions of events that will make a lasting impression on your mind and describes a whole range of emotions through her variety of characters. Throughout this novel, the author draws the reader along with Beckie as she realizes she can seek forgiveness from a loving God who has already paid for her sins by sending His son to the cross.

This is essentially a story of love. Love for the unborn innocents who die before they have a chance to live outside the womb. Love for the women who experience the devestating results of abortion. Love for the family members who misguidedly encourage the women to have an abortion. Love for the staff at abortion centers who really believe they are doing "good." Finally, Love of the Saviour who wishes to take these hurting people and wipe their tears away.

This is undoubtedly one of the hardest books I have ever read! Did I enjoy it? Did I enjoy having a tooth pulled? NO! Was it a necessary read? A resounding YES! Would I recommend it to anyone? Yes, but with conditions, or shall I say, warnings.

As I read this book (which I couldn't stop reading until I read the last word on the last page, by the way) I felt intense nausea at some of the graphic descriptions, a deep horror in the depths of my soul at the evil that lurks in our society under the pretense of "helping" some "unfortunate" young girl. I threw this book away from me as I sobbed during some parts, but I reluctantly picked it up again to read on some more. I had to remind myself that this was a piece of fiction and that I did not rationally know whether the events depicted in this book happen daily throughout our countries, our cities, our small towns, and our communities, and yet I did know in the deepest part of me that this evil does exist and could happen just as this author describes it.

A word of caution: I would caution anyone who has had an experience with abortion to be cautious when reading this book as it will undoubtedly bring some very strong emotions to mind. Have a good friend, a spouse, a trusted counselor or a pastor available to help you sort through the emotions this book will reopen for you. As a person who has been close to abortion, I can tell you that you will have many, many, many strong emotions about this book and this issue. As I've struggled to write this review, it has made me face my own feelings about abortion and how I've dealt with this painful issue in the past. It has reopened a painful sore that has always rubbed just enough to irritate. I've felt anger, judgement, hurt, horror, dismay, nausea, and love, sometimes all at the same time. But as I gain a little bit of perspective, I feel mostly love for those involved in the personal side of abortion and righteous anger for those in the "industry" of abortion. If God Himself can forgive those who who participate in abortion when they ask Him, then I too, can forgive. There is where I find real love. In the welcoming arms of God.

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