A review by kbranfield
Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson

4.0

4.5 stars.

Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson is a heartfelt and touching  novel of friendship.

Dani McNally, Hannah Speer and Avery Adams are recruited to play basketball at West Point.  Dani is highly intelligent and a stellar athlete.  Hannah's grandfather is a West Point grad who would rather she go to college elsewhere. Relying on her strong faith, she ignores his warnings and excels academically. Avery is headstrong and not averse to breaking rules in order to get what she wants. Despite their differences and competitiveness on the basketball court, the three women forge a close friendship. But after graduation, is their friendship strong enough to survive the different paths they travel?

Dani is confident with a clear vision of her future. She is an outstanding athlete who shines on and off the court. Life throws her unexpected curves and her career does not go as she envisions. After graduation, Dani is the person who makes sure the three women continue to stay in touch. 

Avery is dismayed to discover that she is not as  athletically gifted as she believes herself to be. Self doubts set in and she flouts the rules in order to feel better about herself. Avery's poor decision making and lack of confidence follows her beyond West Point.  

Hannah's faith in herself and God never wavers  as she embarks on her career following graduation.  She is soon married to Tim Nesmith, her college boyfriend, and  despite the hardships of dual military careers, she is quite happy. Hannah is the first of the friends to deploy to Afghanistan where she works hard and counts down the days until she is reunited with her loving husband.

From the dramatic prologue to the poignant yet uplifting conclusion, Beyond the Point is a thoroughly captivating novel.  Dani, Avery, and Hannah are wonderfully developed characters with realistic shortcomings and admirable strengths. Their friendship is heartening and strong enough to withhold the joys and sorrows of the lives at West Point and their first few years post-graduation. Claire Gibson paints a true to life, insightful and sometimes heartbreaking portrait of military life. A beautiful  story of friendship and faith that I absolutely loved and highly recommend.