Synopsis
‘Discord pounding below the surface explodes in the Mitchell clan when Dave appoints his youngest son to run the family business, discounting the outrage which is sure to be expressed by his first wife and mother of his eldest son. Madeline has never truly gotten over the betrayal stemming from her husband being lured away over twenty-seven years ago by Sherry, a woman who still dictates the ebbs and flows of their lives. Madeline has lost much — an estranged daughter and the horrific demise of two other sons. Don is all she has left. Refusing to lose any more, the former Mrs. Mitchell is determined to snatch the company back and rightfully restore it to the most suitable heir – her son. Madeline goes a step farther and amasses a group of perpetrators who collectively work to bring Joel down, while Sherry relentlessly fights for respect, legitimacy and her son’s place at the helm. Mother’s pitted in opposing corners is certain to create a nasty ‘family’ mess.
With thoughts tainted by his mom, Don feels robbed, especially when Joel makes less effort and still ends up with the best their father has to offer. Feeling justified in despising his extended family, including his father, Don is determined to make all of them pay for the despair and rejection unjustly bestowed upon his world. He sets out to takeover a division of the company and to claim Abigail’s heart, a woman caught in a tug of war between two brothers.
Seemingly unaffected by the sibling rivalry, Joel appears unstoppable, consumed with wisdom, wealth, power, prestige, and arrogance. As Joel sets out on an unrecoverable course of destruction paved with lust, misjudgment, and questionable religious practices, Don finds himself torn between letting his brother destroy the family legacy or stepping in to save a dynasty his father didn’t count him worthy enough to run. With Abigail’s influence, Don loses his zeal for vindication and chooses a path lined with hope and forgiveness. In the process, he learns that revenge can’t repair his tattered heart; healing can only come from the redemptive power in God’s amazing grace.
1 Chronicles 29:1, 28:20 – “My son …, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced….Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you.” ‘
Credit: Patricia Haley’s website (https://www.patriciahaley.com/novels/chosen_synopsis.php)
My Initial Thoughts
I distinctly remember the day I got this book. I went back to the local Dollar General to get a painting. I noticed the little book stand a foot away and walked over to see what the store had. Side note-I can’t resist a book stand. I was looking through the books for about two minutes when I immediately came across the book cover. I was hooked!!! I mean seriously. The cover immediately had me as the attractive African American male is staring straight ahead with his head sitting on his fist. I was immediately taken back by all the questions of how this book would be. I flipped the book over to read the description and thought, “I’m definitely getting this book!” before I reached the third sentence. This book only cost me $3 and it was the best three dollars I’ve spent in a while. So here’s what I think of the book.
My anticipation from the book cover and reading the synopsis outweighed my expectations in the beginning. I don’t mean this in a negative way. It’s just that I guess I was waiting for the juice to spill out from the first few pages. It turns out that the book was much different than I originally thought it would be. I was taken back by how fast the author dove right into the anticipation of Don Mitchell. It took a while to adapt to the storyline, but I really loved this quick approach from the author.
The Characters
The main characters are Dave, Sherry, Madeline, Don, Joel, and Abigail.
Dave Mitchell is the father of Don and Joel as well as Sherry’s husband. He will remind you of two people in the bible, David and Job. He is known for praying and focusing solely on God especially when making his decisions. He is a devout man that puts God first including his marriage. This is something that Sherry is not a huge fan of. Both his current wife, Sherry and his former wife, Madeline are not faithful Christians.
He was once married to Madeline but they divorced about 20 years before. It turns out that he and his current wife keeps his stomach cancer a secret until the end. Madeline finds out when he is on his deathbed. Don finds out about his father’s death after he passes away. This is one of the main reasons why Dave is on a time crunch to pass the company down.
Sherry is the second wife of Dave Mitchell. She has spent so much of her time as his wife supporting and helping Dave so much that she finds herself empty after his death. Sherry and Madeline are constantly butting heads as she is the wife who is reaping all of the benefits of Madeline’s and Dave’s hard work. Since she married Dave, they both decided to stay in the house that once belong to Madeline and Dave. This is something that bothers Madeline throughout the book.
Madeline is Dave Mitchell’s ex wife. She played an essential role in the creation of the family business. Throughout the book, she constantly constructs plans to expose Joel’s lack of responsibility and knowledge of the company. Her goal is to ensure that Don becomes the CEO as she believes he is the one who “deserves” the executive position.
Don is the last child of Dave and Madeline. When I say last, I don’t mean youngest. Madeline and Don had four children. Two of the children passed away while one has gone astray from the family. Madeline holds on to Don as tight as she can as she feels like he is all she has left. After learning of the executive board’s decision, Don finds himself disappointed and feeling betrayed as he has worked so hard for nothing. So, he decides to leave the country and start a company of his own in South Africa.
Joel is the son of Dave and Sherry. He has always been the “favorite/golden child” receiving the finer gifts and assets such as his father’s corvette. He is not very appreciative of the things he receives (you’ll see throughout the book). Joel becomes the new CEO and has to learn the trades of the business especially from Abigail.
Abigail is a faithful employee that has worked for Dave Mitchell International for the past five years. She knows the company very well. She is like a daughter to Dave Mitchell. The family trust her judgements and opinions as she values the company like her own. She assists Joel as he learns how to operate the company during the transition of power. Abigail does not mind that Joel becomes the new CEO because she trusts Dave and his decisions.
Final Thoughts
I definitely thought that Abigail was going to be with Don near the end of the book. Then things shifted as she spent more time with Joel. I thought surely she was going to marry Joel but things begin to shift again!!! So, I will already let you know Abigail doesn’t get either one by the end of the book for a good reason. I guess I’ve been watching too many Hallmark movies. It turns out that this book was a cliffhanger because it is the second book of the Mitchell family series. The series goes from the beginning of Dave and Madeline’s marriage, through the mistakes of Joel as the CEO, and follows him as he tries to recover from them.
Chosen will leave you with a lot of questions. It slowly reveals different things in a well written pattern. The definitive answers you think will come by the end of book do not. However, Patricia knows exactly how to leave you interested and wanting more.
The book is approximately 400 pages. When I say it went by so fast, it is not an understatement.
I plan on getting the rest of this series because I am hooked now. I want to see if the family will come together. I also want to see if Joel will stay in leadership or will he give up and give the executive seat to Don. I also want to know if Don will forfeit his company and come back to DMI. So many questions!
If you love to read Christian, African American novels this is a great start to many of these books. I love that this book is clean and reveals the details of the family piece by piece. As a reader, you will not be overwhelmed as the details are revealed. You will feel connected to the Mitchell family as they go through their ups and downs.
Where Can You Get It?
This book can be purchased in stores and online. Here’s a link to Chosen on Amazon.
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