facing the dawn by Cynthia Ruchti REVIEWED

 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 eight time zones away, caring for widows and orphans. But she is exhausted, working a demanding yet unrewarding job, trying to manage their three detention-prone and needy 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.

My Thoughts:

"Sun can fade the fabric of life, but it can also make art." (p. 310)

Mara Jacobs, and her children share a home devoid of their father/husband.  The reality that her husband, Liam is doing a type of mission work doesn't make up for the stress of her everyday life with three teens that seem to be totally off the chain.  The financial strain, the emotional anxiety, the exhausting work hours seem to build into an overwhelming tidal wave.

When the tidal wave breaks over this family, it will steal your breath and break your heart.  There is a darkness that threatens to engulf them all.  God's grace lights a candle of hope when Mara's lifelong friend, Ashlee resurfaces in her life, and begins to gently coax life back into the family.  The changes that happen during the course of this novel are so realistic that your heart and emotions become truly vested in the lives of each character.

This novel will transform your life if you will open your heart to receive the gift that it offers. I was not prepared for the many things that happened between the pages of this story, but I will be forever grateful to Cynthia Rushti for writing it down.  Take your time, and savor this novel.  It is a rare gift.

About the Author:

Cynthia Ruchti is the award-winning author of more than 30 books, including the novels Miles from Where We Started, A Fragile Hope, Song of Silence, When the Morning Glory Blooms, and They Almost Always Come Home. Her books have been honored with more than 40 awards, including Romantic Times' Inspirational Novel of the Year, two Selah Awards, and three Christian Retailing's BEST Awards, and she has been a finalist for many others, including the Carol and the Christy. Former president of and current professional relations liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Cynthia lives in Wisconsin and can be found online at www.cynthiaruchti.com.