I eagerly picked up my review copy of Letter from Leanne for personal reasons. I had recently found myself in a situation similar to that of the authors, and I hoped the book would provide some insight into this beautiful and confusing providential circumstance.

The authors are two women from two completely different life stages who find themselves in a growing friendship when the younger woman, Jill, who is just out of college, becomes the junior high basketball coach for the 13-year-old daughter of the older woman, Leanne. Jill and Leanne begin to communicate by email, initially regarding the daughter's sports injury. But eventually the relationship evolves into a spiritual mentoring relationship that continues for many years.

The book chronicles their relationship journey and how God used it throughout the stages of their lives for mutual benefit and growth. Their journey covers a variety of life events, as Jill marries and has children and Leanne loses a parent and sees her children leave the nest. Most of the relationship is chronicled in emails and letters that the women exchanged as well as journal entries that they wrote about each other.

This book beautifully illustrates the concept of spiritual mothering or mentoring in real-life situations. I was somewhat disappointed, though, at the overall tone of the book. Being in a relationship of this type myself (as the older woman), I know the depth of heartfelt joy and pain that such a relationship can bring. I felt that this story was a bit too matter-of-fact for the depth of the relationship they shared. Perhaps they didn't want to divulge too much of the inner workings of the relationship, but I believe that there was probably more depth than was intimated in this book.

While I believe the book could be of interest to someone in a similar mentoring relationship, I believe it could have been even more helpful if it had plumbed the depths of what was truly taking place under the surface in the two women's hearts as God used them to refine and grow one another in Him and His grace.

Product review by Kim Kargbo, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, September 2011