My church book club called, The Book Gathering, read Karen Kingsbury's book, Waiting For Morning. It is book 1 in a 3 book series.
The book was about a Christian family of four, the Ryan's. The husband and father Tom, takes his two teenaged daughters, Alicia and Jenny on a annual summer camping trip. On their way home their truck was struck by a twenty-eight year old habitual drunk driver. Only the youngest daughter Jenny survived.
The wife/mother Hanna, waited at home anxiously for them to come home; instead officers came to the house to deliver the heartbreaking news that her husband and oldest daughter Alicia, were killed, pretty much instantly.
The first chapter really grabs you and pulls you in; even though people dying and the way in which they died was horrible.
The remainder of the book, Hanna, who lost her family, lost all sense of her Christianity. She did a complete 365 degree turn on her faith, as well as towards 13 year old Jenny. All hope was gone as the thought of her family that was stripped away from her. Hanna's main objective was to punish the drunk driver. She channeled all of her energy into him; ignoring more pressing issues between Jenny and herself.
The book was hard for me to read, being that someone's life can just be wiped out because of drinking and driving. The book gives you a lot to think about... alcoholism, abandonment, faith, etc.
Jenny had to deal with a lot of emotions. The fact that her mom let go of her own faith and compassion towards herself and others.
Towards the end of the book Hanna found some redemption when 28 year old Brian is sentenced for time in prison. And Hanna has a message and last words of her husband's delivered to her....
Most of our book club members agreed, that it was tough getting through the book, with a theme and emotions most of us have dealt with. The back stories of several other characters were just as interesting and real.
It is clearly a book that you should brace yourself before and while reading it to deal with its subject matter.
Dee
