Book Review: Another Dawn by Kathryn Cushman

Excerpt: “You know me, when I get nervous, I tend to get a little crazy.”

“You tend to bolt, you mean. I played right into your hands, didn’t I? When I called and demanded that you come out here, it gave you the excuse you needed to run away from the problem.”

I shook my head. “No, I’m not running away from the problem.” Not the one she was thinking of anyway. “There’s nothing left to run from. It’s over.” Another Dawn, pg 32.

Back Cover: What would you give for a second chance to make things right?

When life gets complicated, Grace Graham runs. She’s left romantic relationships, friendships, and even her family after the death of her mother. But now her sister, Jana, is giving her a last chance: Come home and help care for their father – whom Grace blames for her mother’s death – or never show her face in Shoal Creek, Tennessee, again.

With her son, Dylan, in tow, Grace returns home from California. But is she returning for the right reasons? And when costly decisions from the past suddenly put her son’s life and the lives of other children in town at risk, will she have the strength to stand strong and await Another Dawn?

My Review: Kathryn Cushman gives the reader a lot to think about in this wonderful novel. Just reading this book made me think about the long reaching effects of the decisions that I make. What I do doesn’t just affect me. Cushman’s character has to struggle through some difficult situations – a few of her own making – and find out what it really means to forgive. I found myself thinking about the story long after I had closed the final pages.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I would highly recommend this novel to readers of contemporary fiction.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: Leaving Yesterday by Kathryn Cushman

"My son owed this man money. The man who carried a baseball bat with tally marks. I shuddered when I thought of all the things my son was experiencing that were far too horrible for me to even comprehend. How had that happened?" Leaving Yesterday, pg 16.

When Detective Thompson first showed up at her doorstep, Alisa Stewart feared the worst. The detective, instead of delivering the news of her son, Kurt's death, tells Alisa that he is looking for answers to a murder case. A drug dealer, who Kurt owed money to, was found dead, beaten with his own baseball bat. The bat is missing, and Kurt is wanted for questioning. Alisa knows her son, and is confident that he had nothing to do with the murder. When Kurt calls a while later, he has checked himself into a rehab center. Alisa hopes again, but the detective isn't done asking questions and Alisa is forced to decide how far she will go to protect her child.

I really enjoyed this book. It was the first that I had read by Kathryn Cushman, and it won't be the last. Alisa has to face the darkness of reality and still live a life that honors Christ. Her testimony has the opportunity to bring her house back together or drive it further apart. Cushman is not afraid to put her characters in hard situations, and then make the situation even worse. Her characters are believable, and though I didn't agree with all of their actions, the characters responded in a believable way. This is a story about family, faith, second chances and a truth that can set you free.

I recommend this book.

(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing.)