The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

 

Summary (from the publisher): If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare.

Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start.

It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news, and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids, and kids grow up to be teenagers. Nobody wants a messed-up teenager.

And Moses was messed up. Moses was a law unto himself. But he was also strange and exotic and beautiful. To be with him would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe I should have listened. My mother warned me. Even Moses warned me. But I didn’t stay away.

And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. But most of all...a love story.

Review: Moses was found abandoned in a laundry basket as a newborn, born to a crack addict. He is raised by his great-grandmother. He is viewed by everyone as being messed up and broken and mostly no one has any interest in him except for Georgia, who falls for him as a teenager. But their connection is cut short when Moses is sent away. Years later, they fall into each other's paths once more but the gulf and loss experienced by each may be too wide a bridge to cross. 

The synopsis of this book glided over a major plot point - Moses has a special gift. He is visited by the dead, who shares images from their lives, and he paints their portraits. This skill is obviously a heavy emotional burden and also ends up getting him in trouble with the law at times, because he knows things about the dead that he shouldn't. This ability also underpins a major plot development that brings Moses and Georgia back together. 

I did not expect this book to feature so much paranormal activity or for it to include a murder mystery subplot. I also thing anyone reading it should receive a trigger warning because the book does involve a traumatic child death, which is hard to read. Overall, it was a unique premise, and it was well executed by Harmon. 

My real issue with this book was the supposed great draw between Moses and Georgia. It felt one-sided at most points, and I did not see the connection between the characters or buy that either would go to such great lengths for each other. I wish Harmon had spent more time developing their love story and connection. I also think Georgia was way too easy going on Moses, who vanished for years, leaving her in a very serious predicament for a teenager. Yet he shows up years later and is almost instantly forgiven with few questions asked. 

Stars: 3