Facing the Dawn

Author: Cynthia Ruchti

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 2, 2021

One of the best contemporary fiction books I have read in a very long time. A story full of heart, faith, strength, and a longing to survive even during the hardest of circumstances.

Mara Jacobs has been struggling for years while her husband, Liam, has been off on humanitarian missions digging wells in Africa. It is admirable that Liam is off helping others while she stays and takes care of their children. She is exhausted working at a cheese factory and having a hard time keeping her kids out of trouble. When Liam doesn’t return home and one hardship leads to another, Mara struggles even more and the future looks darker than ever before. With her darkest days in front of her, Mara quickly realizes that no matter how dark things look she is never alone or unloved.

I don’t read a lot of contemporary books, suspense is more my thing, but occasionally it is nice to have a novel such as this. This book had me so captivated that I read it in one sitting. The story both touched my heart and ripped it in two at times. I loved the way Ruchti was able to make me feel such a connection to these characters. Mara has a beautiful character arc, as well as several other characters throughout the pages, exhibiting so much growth, reflection, and redemption. I did not see several of the twists coming that really pulled at my heart strings, which was such a nice surprise. With a book like this it is usually pretty easy for me to tell where the story is going but so many moments took me by surprise and had me grinning with how well it was written. This is the first book I have read by Cynthia Ruchti but I can guarantee it won’t be my last. I recommend this book to readers that want to sit down, put the troubles of the world behind them and dive into a story that will captivate them and move them to tears.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.