While her humanitarian husband Liam has been digging wells in Africa, Mara Jacobs has been struggling. She knows she’s supposed to feel a warm glow that her husband is nine time zones away, caring for widows and orphans. But the reality is that she is exhausted, working a demanding yet unrewarding job, trying to manage their three detention-prone kids, failing at her to-repair list, and fading like a garment left too long in the sun.
Then Liam’s three-year absence turns into something more, changing everything and plunging her into a sunless grief. As Mara struggles to find her footing, she discovers that even when hope is tenuous, faith is fragile, and the future is unknown, we can be sure we are not forgotten . . . or unloved.
With emotionally evocative prose that tackles tough topics with tenderness and hope, award-winning author Cynthia Ruchti invites you on a journey of the heart you won’t soon forget.
Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed in hope through award-winning novels, novellas, devotionals, nonfiction, and through speaking events for women and writers. She makes potato corn chowder for her husband of more than four decades and loves on her three kids and six grandchildren. Cynthia recently retired from 33 years of writing and producing a daily radio broadcast called THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME, is past president of American Christian Fiction Writers, and now serves as ACFW’s Professional Relations Liaison, all while working on more book projects in addition to the more than 30 already on the shelves. Her books have been honored with Selah Awards, Christian Retailing’s BEST Awards, and Book of the Year awards from Golden Scrolls, as well as finalist or top honors in awards programs such as ACFW’s Carol Awards, ForeWord Book Reviews Book of the Year, RT Reviews Book of the Year, Family Fiction’s Book of the Year, Cascade Awards Book of the Year, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and the Christy Award, among others. You can connect with her at http://www.cynthiaruchti.com, at http://www.facebook.com/cynthiaruchtireaderpage, at http://www.twitter.com/cynthiaruchti, or in the kitchen, brewing herself another cup of tea.
Lord, you’ve taken everything away from me.’
Oh goodness! This book was so painful to read. Very hard to read. It was, in fact, gut wrenching. The pain Mara experienced totally rocked me. Dealing with her husband’s death, two unruly teenagers and a hurting younger son, then something unthinkable happens, I hurt FOR her. The tears come reading this story. Cynthia Ruchti is a deft hand at writing hard stuff. But she also gives hope and blessing. Well done.
My thanks to Revell Publishers for a copy of this book via Net Galley. I received no compensation and the opinion here is my own.
Simply Susan 