“Indivisible” is a novelization by author Travis Thrasher of David G. Evans’ motion picture, which tells the real-life story of military couple Darren and Heather Turner.
The Turners, parents of three children, are deeply in love and supportive of each other. When Darren decides to become a military chaplain, he is immediately sent to Iraq for a 15-month deployment with an infantry battalion.
As Darren and Heather each fight their own battles — him in the war zone, her at home — they begin to develop relationships. Darren grows close to several soldiers, helping guide them through the intensity of war and overcoming losses, and revealing to them the love and protection of God. And with Heather’s involvement with the unit’s Response Team, she meets several fellow wives and must be the love and comfort of God to women who lose their husbands.
But as they strengthen relationships with others, they find their own relationship struggling, especially after Darren’s return. As he struggles to reintegrate into “normal” life after dealing with the horrors of war, he pushes Heather and the children further and further away.
“Indivisible” is a story of heartache, homesickness and frustration, and the redemptive power of God to overcome these struggles. As the Turners work to rebuild their relationship, their story reminds us to constantly choose joy, no matter how difficult it may be. It also reminds us to always turn to God and his protective armor.
When approached by filmmakers David and Esther Evans, the Turners decided to allow their story to be told for two reasons: so that people will learn to be honest with themselves, others and the Lord; and that nonmilitary Americans will grow to understand what veterans and their families battle, and to get involved in their lives. They also hoped to show the world the redemptive power of God and His love.
“Indivisible” will definitely challenge you — to appreciate the life you have and the people that are in your life; to appreciate what military members go through when deployed, and how difficult it is for them to reintegrate into “normal” life; and to appreciate what their family members sacrifice, and that they may not always get their happy family life back when their loved one returns home. May we never take our military members for granted.
Told in three parts beginning in 2007 (Predeployment, Deployment and Reintegration), “Indivisible” bounces back and forth between what’s going on with Darren, and Heather’s life at home. Darren’s story is often told through letter form, as he keeps several forms of journals to record his experience. Because it is a novelization of a motion picture, at times the writing is a bit choppy, almost as if reading a screenplay. But overall, it is written very well. You almost wouldn’t realize it wasn’t a fiction novel to begin with.
This is a lovely, inspirational story, which has been very well adapted from a film’s screenplay.
Five stars out of five.
Thomas Nelson provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.