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Monday, February 20, 2017

SHINE LIKE THE DAWN by CARRIE TURANSKY

After finishing this book I had to just sit and enjoy the breathtaking story I just finished. I am so overwhelmed by the book that I may read it again just to feel what an impact it has made on me. The author has written a story with characters that leap off the pages and come  to life. This is without a doubt her best writing to date. It is such a wonderful story that I want it made into a movie. Thanks to the author,  I was whisked away to a beautiful and magnificent house nestled in Edwardian England. The setting is described with poise and grace. I truly was so caught up in the story that the world around me ceased to exist.

Maggie is a wonderful character with family values and a desire to uncover the truth about her family's tragic accident. She has wondered and even suspected that their death was not an accident. Over the last few years Maggie has started to become bitter towards God. It was hard for her to understand why He would take her family and leave her with pain that was  unbearable at times. I loved how the author took Maggie through painful memories and exposed her hardened heart. We all deal with grief in different ways. Maggie will face loss and watching her deal with it was so compelling.   With her grandmother's encouragement, Maggie will find herself asking God for forgiveness and help.   "God hears and answers prayer. Those answers are not always the ones we'd hoped for."

Nate was my favorite character. He loved his father dearly and was very saddened at his sudden death. Having been away from home, Nate is not familiar with how the family company runs. I think his pride got in the way a few times and maybe brought on some burdens that he was not ready for. He wanted to make his dad proud of him and was determined to run the company like his dad did. I suspect that Nate felt he was in over his head and I loved how he sought out spiritual guidance. "Kindness and humility will take you much further in life than pride and a stubborn heart."

I enjoyed the mystery that the author brought into the story. The death of Maggie's family was becoming more suspicious as Maggie started digging into the past. I was so sure I knew who was responsible, but the author  cleverly gave us several suspects. During the story several characters have kept  secrets that when exposed could destroy many  lives. Do you think it is ok to hide things for any reason?

One of the most powerful conflict  in the book was the strike brewing at his company  that was becoming more evident as Nate tries desperately to get both sides to communicate and comprise. Once again Nate's strong ability to do the right thing was weighing heavily on his shoulders. I loved how he  recognized that he needed to pray and have someone to guide him through this difficult time. There are wonderful examples in the story that show God's mercy and grace. The book is one that will reach into the depths of your soul and take you on a journey through pain, grief, anger, loss, pride and heal wounds, restore relationships and bring families  back together. I will end my review with this from the book, "It would  take God's intervention to change men's hearts and the power of the Spirit, working in and through him to see good."

I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.

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