Facing the Dawn

Title: Facing the Dawn Author: Cynthia Ruchti Genre: Contemporary Fiction Publishing Date: March 2, 2021 Publisher: Revell Length: 320 Pages Links: Baker Book House | Amazon | Goodreads

About the Book:

While her humanitarian husband Liam has been digging wells in Africa, Mara Jacobs has been struggling. She knows she’s supposed to feel a warm glow that her husband is nine time zones away, caring for widows and orphans. But the reality is that she is exhausted, working a demanding yet unrewarding job, trying to manage their three detention-prone kids, failing at her to-repair list, and fading like a garment left too long in the sun. Then Liam’s three-year absence turns into something more, changing everything and plunging her into a sunless grief. As Mara struggles to find her footing, she discovers that even when hope is tenuous, faith is fragile, and the future is unknown, we can be sure we are not forgotten . . . or unloved. With emotionally evocative prose that tackles tough topics with tenderness and hope, award-winning author Cynthia Ruchti invites you on a journey of the heart you won’t soon forget.

My Review:

Oh goodness, I don’t even know where to start or what I could say that would do this novel justice. This was my first read by Cynthia Ruchti but it most assuredly will not be my last! The biggest element that set it apart from other reads for me was the internal dialogue of Mara. The level of tragedy heaped on the poor woman was unimaginable, and her grief journey was nothing shy of raw and heart-wrenching. Her internal dialogue was so masterfully crafted that I couldn’t help but be fully immersed into her world as if I was Mara myself. As someone with similar coping mechanisms, it made her story more genuine to see the picture painted not only of what she allowed others to see, but the reality of thoughts warring within her mind as she struggled to hold her head above water. It’s a healing journey no one would want to go on, yet it took going through to see the Lord at work in Mara’s heart and life. Wow. Just wow. This novel was nothing short of masterful and I simply couldn’t recommend it to other readers enough. Have your tissues handy, but this is a story not to miss! *I received a copy of this book from Revell publishers. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

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