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Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Release date: March 2, 2021
About the Book
Mara Jacobs has been struggling. While her humanitarian husband is digging wells in Africa and caring for widows and orphans, Mara has been battling the home front—working a demanding yet unrewarding job, trying to manage three detention-prone kids, and suffering from exhaustion and depression. Even her own marriage is deteriorating after a three-year separation.
Then Liam’s absence turns into something more, changing everything and plunging her into a sunless grief. As Mara leans on those around her to find her way to healing and renewed faith, she discovers that even when hope is tenuous and the future is unknown, we can be sure we are not forgotten . . . or unloved.
Facing the Dawn is an emotionally evocative novel that will resonate with readers’ lives and their life challenges. Hemmed in hope, this tender story will be one readers will not soon forget.
I found this book to be the perfect read for anyone who has wrestled with God to overcome loss, bitterness, and grief. Much like Mara, I too have been a “single mom” and experience tragedy after tragedy. I could really relate to this story, and even her quirky bitter personality I found quite refreshing and humorous (as this was how I processed and wrestled with God). I adored her character.
I really loved how the author included scripture in the book to help the readers understand Mara’s journey in learning to surrender to God, and leave fear and bitterness behind.
“O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety,”
Psalms 61:1-2 NLT
I also loved Mara’s friends in the book. They were such pillars of strength and unconditional love. When I was going through my trials in life, I often found myself wanting such friends. Instead I leaned on the Holy Spirit for comfort and strength. I found it refreshing and comforting as she leaned in to her friends (much like I did the holy spirit) to find the strength, hope, and grace that she needed to move forward.
Below are a few of my favorite quotes from the book.
“when life falls apart, Gods plan hasn’t . It is still active but adds a soul-healing component”
“Love doesn’t mean never wrestling with doing the right thing, but choosing the right thing in the end. Every time. And finding grace hidden in the choice. You and God need to work this out together. I’m not your answer. He is.”
“Peace had washed over her like a tidal wave when she’d surrender-knelt by the water” Now, peace settled like honey flowing over buttered toast. Hard doesn’t mean unsurvivable. Mistakes don’t automatically dictate a future. And regrets have an antidote. God’s love and peace.”
My favorite part of the book was the ending when she visited Africa and revisited what her husband had done while he was absent. It was the perfect way that God often allows us to see things from His perspective, and gives us the grace to move on and love as He does.
I highly recommend this book. I couldn’t put it down.
About the Author
Cynthia Ruchti is the award-winning author of more than 30 books, including the novels Afraid of the Light, Miles from Where We Started, As Waters Gone By, Song of Silence, A Fragile Hope, and They Almost Always Come Home. Her books have been honored with more than 40 readers’, reviewers’, and retailers’ awards, including Romantic Times’s Inspirational Novel of the Year, four Selah Awards, and five Christian Retailing’s BEST Awards, and 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
More from Cynthia
When I sit down to write a novel, I sometimes have little more than a title or a single scene in my head. For Facing the Dawn, I had a mental picture of a woman who felt like circumstances had drained all the “color” out of her life, as if she were a piece of fabric that had been left out in the sun too long. Faded. Threadbare. Bleached out.
Where was I supposed to go from there? What would have made her feel like that? (Oh, I could imagine, but I needed to know THIS character’s story.) I visualized her called in the principal’s office at her kids’ school, not knowing which of the three was in trouble thistime. But it was her. The ridiculousness of it all was almost enough to push her over the edge. Ever been there?
For Mara in the story, a long string of disappointments clogged her life like a backed-up sink (which she also had). Then true tragedy struck. And again. But I couldn’t leave her in that place.
When I wrote the last few words of the story, my heart was full. Tears fell on the pages—or the keyboard. And I reflected back on all the symbolism in the story that actually revealed bits of hope embedded in its fabric.
I’m excited to see how readers respond when they discover those little bits—a cardinal in a stand of birch trees, an oil painting with unusual brushstrokes, a papered wall, a cup of soup, a long-forgotten song, an envelope of ashes…
A story comes to life when readers dive in. I’m looking forward to hearing what they find when they do.
To celebrate her tour, Cynthia is giving away the grand prize package of a DrinkCo Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated BPA-free beverage container (keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours/hot up to 12 hours), two Sunprint Notecards (Cynanotype art by Anna Atkins), an autographed copy of the novel Facing the Dawn, two Hemmed in Hope magnets/notecard inserts to encourage you or a friend, a Hemmed in Hope flash drive, and Facing the Dawn bookmarks (not shown in picture above)!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
