Author: Suzy Parish
Publisher: Harbourlight Books
Release Date: August 10, 2018
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewer: Jessica Higgins
A compelling redemption story for both self and marriage.
After his two-year-old soon is killed in a tragic accident, Mac McCann signs up for a year long stint for overseeing security in a camp at Afghanistan. Mac sees this as a way to get away from his troubles. His wife is distraught that he is leaving but he is hoping that this will be a way for them to heal. But he harbors a secret. He feels that his son’s death is his fault and he doesn’t want to face his demons. Once in Afghanistan, he meets other security workers that are there for a myriad of reasons, but many are there to escape problems. However, the problems never really go away, they just seem to get worse. As Mac continues his tour, he begins to view life from a new perspective and realizes his mistakes and that he must confront them in he wants to heal and move on.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it was a clean read with redeeming qualities throughout. Parish did a great job of weaving a story of a grieving couple struggling to heal. But this book went way deeper than that. She also brought to life many of the struggles that the both the locals in Afghanistan face as well as those that are over in an attempt to help rebuild the village life so that people can protect themselves. Parish did a great job setting different scenes between Huntsville, Alabama and Afghanistan. Her descriptive settings took to me each location in detail but didn’t detract from the story. Mac and Sophie were wonderfully developed characters. I could feel the hurt that they both carried and the anger between the two of them. I could sense what was happening in their relationship before they could, which is the sign of a truly talented author. I highly recommend this debut novel.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
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