Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge,from Tommy Nelson Fiction via Netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own.
There were seconds, when I woke, when the world felt unshrouded. Then memory returned."
Synopsis:
When Jessica regains consciousness in a French hospital on the day after the Paris attacks, all she can think of is fleeing the site of the horror she survived. But Patrick, the steadfast friend who hasn’t left her side, urges her to reconsider her decision. Worn down by his insistence, she reluctantly agrees to follow through with the trip they’d planned before the tragedy.
“The pages found you,” Patrick whispered.
“Now you need to figure out what they’re trying to say.”
During a stop at a country flea market, Jessica finds a faded document concealed in an antique. As new friends help her to translate the archaic French, they uncover the story of Adeline Baillard, a young woman who lived centuries before—her faith condemned, her life endangered, her community decimated by the Huguenot persecution.
“I write for our descendants, for those who will not understand the cost of our survival.”
Determined to learn the Baillard family’s fate, Jessica retraces their flight from France to England, spurred on by a need she doesn’t understand.
Could this stranger who lived three hundred years before hold the key to Jessica’s survival?
Check out an Interview with the Author:
Review:
This book is VERY timely, as it speaks to survivors of any tragedy. While speaking of a shooting, it could apply to those form natural disasters as well. It's the first book I've read that looked at survival from a CIVILIAN persective, ie one who isn't trained in survival skills. It's VERY different, but some of the PTSD is the same.
The author does such an excellent job with Jessica's voice, that when the surprise comes, readers will be catching their breath like Jessica, and in much the same denial. It's a credit to Michele that the reader feels this way. BUT, it almost made the book feel like 2 stories put together. while the search for Adeline was a way for Jessica to recover, it read different and heightened the idea of before and after.
The book is interesting in concept, and Michele does a great job with it. but teh last part of the book was just more blah, than the first part. While not making it a bad story to read, you may find yourself skimming more to get to the key moments. But if you're looking for an interesting Fall read, this is might be the one you're looking for. And for older teens, having them read that first section to see what happens to survivors of shootings, might be a valid experience for them to read.
About the Author:
Michèle Phoenix grew up as a child of missionaries, traveling the world and draws on her unique experience to tell the tale of the stresses and unexpected beauty of this life.
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