Remember Sara

by C.S. Bills

Sara found herself in a little used stairwell several corridors over from Exam Room Three.
The observant nurse who’d followed Sara as she dashed down the hallway like a specter found her there, fists clenched against her chest, struggling to breathe, her face as white as the hospital wall she was leaning against, her lips bloodless.
“Dr. Strampein, what’s wrong?” the nurse cried.
Sara turned toward the woman. “Oh, God,” she moaned as the nurse opened the door and shouted for help.

Mt. Carmel Monastery, with its stone towers, seems more like a castle tour stop then a place Sara might find healing. But its abbess/therapist is Sara’s last hope. Can Mother Elizabeth dispel the darkness in Sara's mind? A promise of healing and love await her. If only Sara can remember…

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Drama, Contemporary

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 29, 2013

About the author

Hi, I'm C.S. Bills, author, teacher, and spiritual director. I love to tell a good story with suspense, action, and romance! I currently write in two genres, adventure fantasy and Women's Christian fiction. All my work is friendly to both Catholic and Protestant believers. I hope you enjoy my prehistoric series, Clan of the Ice Mountains and my Women of Mt. Carmel series.

Reviews

[Marilyn Groves]

I normally avoid Christian books, and get unrealistically irritated when one sneaks in under the guise of another genre. This book, however, was an exception. It made no bones about being a spiritual book in the description.

This is the story of an extremely successful cardiovascular surgeon who begins experiencing debilitating panic attacks and is sent to the care of the Sisters at Mt. Carmel monastery, run by a nun who is also a psychiatrist. The other sisters who dwell there are individual characters of their own with interesting backgrounds and lives.

There is no preaching or condemnation; there is love, acceptance and gentle guidance. In some ways, it reminded me of the setting of 'Call the Midwife,' where the sisters don't try to force any beliefs but rather live their own faith and welcome others in if they wish.

It was a gentle, satisfying read.

[Antigone Walsh]

A heart surgeon's life is disrupted by debilitating panic attacks. a year off with therapy at an unconventional locale promises her the hopes of recovery. But only if she can bring herself to remember and to love.

Unrealistic, repetitive and heavy-handed, this book is a disappointment. There are too many characters and the way thoughts are conveyed in italics for all the characters is annoying. It doesn't help that all the voices sound the same. BTW there is a difference between a convent and a monastery. If you are dealing with nuns, they get placed in a convent, not a monastery. it is entirely too talky and the ultimate resolution is unbelievable. More annoying than inspiring.

[Deb Haggerty]

Trust God—A Difficult Task

Sara is a brilliant heart valve surgeon with great holes of memories in her own heart. When panic attacks impact her abilities for control, she retreats to Mt. Carmel under duress to find healing. But is healing possible after what she has endured? The task is difficult—trust God.

[Ruth Kephart]

Slow to start but becomes more interesting

I thought this book was slow to begin, but I found myself enjoying it midway. I'm not a huge fan of the writing style with all the private thoughts of the characters written in. I did enjoy the ending, though I guessed the big secret of this book a long time before it was revealed.

[Book Lover]

Ugh. Has anyone here ever heard about using an editor? This is an embarrassment for the person who wrote it. Terrible writing, boring characters and thin plot, plus horrible, embarrassing editing. Who edited this? Clearly a self-published piece of drivel.

[Lynda Knapp]

Wonderful!

I do recommend this book. The characters were realistic and the story was well-written. Although I have never read this author, I will definitely be on the lookout for more by C. S. Bills.

[Sharon K. Woolsey]

Sara, an overcomer

This story begins with Sara, a heart surgeon. Panic attacks over took her life. Sent to
A Convent for solice and healing. It was a story that took many twists and turns. Quite surprising she finds her long lost Father. Could not put it down.

[Ellen Rice]

Interesting subject. Story moved along nicely.

[Linda Fode]

Transformed My Life

Remember Sarah brought deep healing to my childhood trauma. Thank you Cindy Bills for the gift of God’s grace poured out through you.

[Rachel]

This book was a free book provided through Goodreads First Reads. I'm so glad I won it! The opinions in this review are my own.
In my personal rating system in order to achieve a five star rating a book must meet at least 2 of 3 requirements. I'm pleased to say that this book met all three - it impressed me, entertained me, and most important has remained "in my head" for longer than 5 minutes.
The story is primarily about Sara(a talented surgeon)and her struggle to find the cause of her panic attacks, and hopefully the cure. She is sent to Mt Carmel Monastery for a "rest" and help.
I was fascinated by the details of life in the monastery, loved the different characters and the fact that the author gave a lot of insight into their personalities. They were not just the sisters who lived in this monastery, they became friends. Sister Rose, the painter, Sister Katerina the musician....etc. It was wonderful seeing them as persons, not simply "sisters". I think to often we forget that they are real people. Thank you to the author for making it so clear that they are human! Oh...and there is a touch of romance.
Panic attacks are very real and I was so glad that a story had been written that might help people to understand them. A family member had them and I remember feeling helpless because I'd no idea what to do. Thank you to the author for bringing this subject to the public in a book that is entertaining, yet hopefully will shed some light on this subject.
Don't let a few bad reviews influence your decision of whether or not to get this book. It's well worth reading and, to be honest, I've no idea how anyone can give it a low rating. 2 stars...it has to be pretty bad for me to give that low a rating and this book is definitely not bad!!!!

[Diane Pitts]

C.S. Bills does a magnificent job of presenting the nitty gritty of the surgical suite as well as the hidden rooms of psychological trauma. Try combining a medical perspective with the nuns of Mt Carmel and we have an unlikely duo . . .unless the abbess is a psychologist. I wondered initially if Bills could pull off this dynamic, but she succeeded.

Sara is a cardiovascular surgeon plagued by panic attacks. The Mt. Carmel sisters are in the healing business--soul and mind. Bills pulls on the heartstrings with this read. There is something to touch a deep part of any reader.

Highly recommend. Read in one sitting.

[Juli]

I received this book as a First Reads winner on Goodreads. I thought it was just "OK". It sounded really interesting---Sara, a surgeon, starts having panic attacks caused by repressed memories. She goes to the sisters of Mt. Carmel for therapy and to recover her memories.
I didn't get attached to any of the characters, not even the main character Sara. The pace of the book was a little slow for me, especially when she was at Mt. Carmel and then didn't seem to make any progress toward recovering her memories. Eventually everything does work out and I did like the ending.

[Mary Beth]

The observant nurse who’d followed Sara as she dashed down the hallway like a specter found her there, fists clenched against her chest, struggling to breathe, her face as white as the hospital wall she was leaning against, her lips bloodless.

[Deb]

Fabulous! Inspiring! Suspenseful. I couldn't put it down.

[Sue]

Despite being steeped in religion, this book was surprisingly good. Characters were likable, changing to lovable. Plot was predictable, but well done. Enjoyed the book!

[Dottie]

a little slow at first but became hard to put down.