finishing Even Now

I stayed up to finish Even Now last night...and it was completely worth it. Again, more tears at the end of the book. And I even was poked a little inside my brain when Kingsbury addressed the issue of peace...peace inside the heart that He brings and the peace that we often seek in the world around us. This is from the author's note at the end of the book:
"The issues surrounding OEF are complex. One of the benefits of writing about a character like Lauren Anderson was that I felt sympathy for people on her side of the fence. Lauren had nothing against American soldiers. She simply believed that peace would only be found with peaceful behavior. Shane also was sympathetic. He wasn't a person crazy for war, and he certainly had no blood thirst. Rather he believed peace came through strength. He didn't want to see children orphaned or soldiers killed. He only wanted to help protect and defend.
Because of these two characters, I learned something while writing Even Now. I learned that once in a while the two sides are closer than they think. Especially when faith is a common factor. The issues are complex, and so I think sometimes the best way to work things out is well, not to work them out. If you and someone you ove have a difference of opinion on something maybe it's best to let it stay that way. Respect each other's right to believe what you believe. Respect each other. Agree to disagree, my dad used to say."
There's so much more that she writes, including an invitation to faith. And it touched my heart...