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Before I Wake
They say there are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth. In Before I Wake, debut novelist Robert J. Wiersema cleverly introduces a multitude of voices to tell this astonishing story of loss, redemption and forgiveness. And the truth? Well, when miracles start happening around Sherry Barrett, a three-year-old girl in a coma, explanations of a rational kind no longer seem important.Injured by a hit-and-run driver while crossing the street, Sherry Barrett lies in a hospital where her doctors say she will never wake up. Her distraught parents, Karen and Simon, make the painful decision to take her off life support. But when they do, Sherry spontaneously begins breathing on her own, the first of many miraculous events to occur. Henry Denton, the driver who struck Sherry, is haunted by the accident and attempts to take his own life, only to be saved by an unexplained force. Sherry’s nurse discovers that the little girl has the power to heal. When word of her gift leaks, the sick begin lining up to be saved and a mysterious stranger sets his sights on vanquishing the believers and the Barretts. Before I Wake delicately brings together grandiose leaps of faith with the fragility of every day moments. There’s a fly-on-the-wall quality in Wiersema’s observations, as his realistically flawed characters struggle with guilt, self-loathing and belief while they go about their daily lives. The novel’s fractured narrative style is propulsive and unexpected at every turn, and succeeds in raising questions about times of great faith, and what happens when they happen to the most unlikely of people.“I believe in miracles — we see them around us all the time,” Wiersema says. “I believe in not having the answers, in there being forces beyond our understanding.”
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
February 23, 2014
It started off really well, but as the story progresssed things totally fell apart for me.
I think the premise was good, but the author just seemed to get too lazy to bother filling the story lines out in a believable fashion. Karen's lack of emotion over her husband's affair just didn't ring true and when she ended up befriending Mary, the author lost all credibility with me. She was just a little too calm, cool and collected for a woman whose husband just left her for another women on the heel of her child's tragedy.
Simon's supposed deep feelings for Mary seemed to end abruptly too and Mary was awfully mature about being dumped so quickly.
Also, Karen and Simon's refusal to call the police while their house was under seige was completely ridiculous, as was a doctor and lawyer losing their jobs after a simple article in a local newspaper.
Oh yeah and if I never read the word " Pilgrim" again it will be too soon.
I think the premise was good, but the author just seemed to get too lazy to bother filling the story lines out in a believable fashion. Karen's lack of emotion over her husband's affair just didn't ring true and when she ended up befriending Mary, the author lost all credibility with me. She was just a little too calm, cool and collected for a woman whose husband just left her for another women on the heel of her child's tragedy.
Simon's supposed deep feelings for Mary seemed to end abruptly too and Mary was awfully mature about being dumped so quickly.
Also, Karen and Simon's refusal to call the police while their house was under seige was completely ridiculous, as was a doctor and lawyer losing their jobs after a simple article in a local newspaper.
Oh yeah and if I never read the word " Pilgrim" again it will be too soon.
January 21, 2009
I vacillated when reading this book, between loving the story for what it was and thinking the book was an excuse to push dogma. In the end I decided I was simply caught off guard by the surrealistic nature of the book, as I don't usually read anything resembling magic realism.
I was first sucked in by the more "human" aspects of the book: Simon's affair with Mary, Henry's stifling guilt, the action surrounding the first moments after Sherry's accident. Then things started to take a turn for the weird, and I wavered a bit before settling into the story. Instead of the weird taking over and transforming the book into the ramblings of a religious fanatic, Wiersema does a fantastic job of using the spiritual nature of the book to increase the intensity of the book's personal appeal. What I found particularly well done is the way in which Sherry's healing abilities not only cure people physically, but also emotionally, as demonstrated by the slow rebuilding of her own parents' relationship. I also loved just how human everyone seemed; even Mary, who could have easily been portrayed as a one-dimensional, villainous mistress had an incredible depth to her that I enjoyed very much.
I also liked that Sherry's abilities were kept separate from religion, and really had more to do with spirituality. Wiersema obviously couldn't ignore the religious implications of the "miracle", however, and this is addressed through characters like Father Peter and Leo. This particular plot point really does address the question of good vs. evil, and I was relieved to find out that, in the end, the answer in the book isn't quite as simplistic as I was fearing it would be. I thought it was a little corny that the two "enemies" at the end turned out to be the two biblical characters they did, but I suppose I can also say this isn't completely misplaced, either.
I hope Wiersema keeps writing, because this was a great debut.
I was first sucked in by the more "human" aspects of the book: Simon's affair with Mary, Henry's stifling guilt, the action surrounding the first moments after Sherry's accident. Then things started to take a turn for the weird, and I wavered a bit before settling into the story. Instead of the weird taking over and transforming the book into the ramblings of a religious fanatic, Wiersema does a fantastic job of using the spiritual nature of the book to increase the intensity of the book's personal appeal. What I found particularly well done is the way in which Sherry's healing abilities not only cure people physically, but also emotionally, as demonstrated by the slow rebuilding of her own parents' relationship. I also loved just how human everyone seemed; even Mary, who could have easily been portrayed as a one-dimensional, villainous mistress had an incredible depth to her that I enjoyed very much.
I also liked that Sherry's abilities were kept separate from religion, and really had more to do with spirituality. Wiersema obviously couldn't ignore the religious implications of the "miracle", however, and this is addressed through characters like Father Peter and Leo. This particular plot point really does address the question of good vs. evil, and I was relieved to find out that, in the end, the answer in the book isn't quite as simplistic as I was fearing it would be. I thought it was a little corny that the two "enemies" at the end turned out to be the two biblical characters they did, but I suppose I can also say this isn't completely misplaced, either.
I hope Wiersema keeps writing, because this was a great debut.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2010
I continued reading this book even though I really didn't like it. That is the only reason I gave it two stars instead of one. The author kept me turning the pages with the suspense of what was going to happen next but the book was completely unbelievable. I never quite figured out what was going on with the people in the library and who really was Father Pete. I'm assuming it was all about the devil and saints but I'm not sure. And what ever happened to Henry and why did the little girl die after Henry came to visit her. The whole thing was pretty much a confusing mess to me. Don't bother with this book.
June 1, 2009
I loved this book! I'm not sure why it hit such a chord with me, but it did. It combines a story about family, faith, forgiveness, and the supernatural. The characters are ones that you hate one minute and love the next.
When a little girl, Sherry, is involved in a hit and run she doesn't die but rather slips into an odd coma that her doctors can not understand. She should be dead on hosptial acquired pneumonia and infection.
This entire event fractures the fragile relationship of her parents Simon and Karen Barret who had problems in their marriage even before this event. Their world is then turned upside down again as they try to cope in their own way when people begin to claim that Sherry had healing powers. Some begin to say she is a saint. Is this real?? What of the strange priest Father Peter? He is threatening or trying to help them?
In the meantime, strange things are happening to Henry Denton, the man that hit Sherry. Why can no one see him? Why can't he die?
It was a bittersweet book that kept me hooked until the end. Not really in Catholicism but an interesting tale in fiction.
When a little girl, Sherry, is involved in a hit and run she doesn't die but rather slips into an odd coma that her doctors can not understand. She should be dead on hosptial acquired pneumonia and infection.
This entire event fractures the fragile relationship of her parents Simon and Karen Barret who had problems in their marriage even before this event. Their world is then turned upside down again as they try to cope in their own way when people begin to claim that Sherry had healing powers. Some begin to say she is a saint. Is this real?? What of the strange priest Father Peter? He is threatening or trying to help them?
In the meantime, strange things are happening to Henry Denton, the man that hit Sherry. Why can no one see him? Why can't he die?
It was a bittersweet book that kept me hooked until the end. Not really in Catholicism but an interesting tale in fiction.
October 21, 2007
This book is a quick easy read with an interesting topic. It does have some interesting concepts and ideas to think about but much of the story is weak and on the surface. The dad having the affair thing and what happens throughout the book is so far fetched and makes Karen so weak although I think the author is trying to make her out as a hero.
March 3, 2009
I forgot about this book...I don't know how I could have. This is a fabulous story... touching and thought provoking. A Christmas gift that I inhaled even faster than the festive bonbons I received.
March 20, 2011
“And what have you done?”
“Many things, Henry,” he said. “Time is long and old men forget…”
“That’s not an answer.”
“No, it’s Shakespeare.”
***
My introduction to Wiersema’s work came earlier this year when, after being introduced to the CZP catalogue, I found a copy of The World More Full of Weeping at my local White Rock Indigo. A mildly traumatic story about a boy lost in the woods behind his home in much the same way that his father had gotten lost in them many years earlier, The World More Full of Weeping is a sucker punch of a novella: it strikes unexpectedly, and over the course of a mere 70 or so pages, leaves you breathless and distraught. Now with his latest book, Bedtime Stories, on the market (which I hope to have a chance to read in the next few weeks), I wanted to go back and see where Wiersema’s career as a writer began.
First published back in 2006, Before I Wake tells the story of Sherry Barrett and the single moment in time that changes not only her world, but the worlds of her parents, her parents friends and family, even the entire country. The book opens with Sherry being struck and abandoned in a hit and run accident that leaves her comatose. Accepting that she has experienced brain death, her parents Simon and Karen decide to remove her from life support. Just as they do, she begins to breathe on her own, and their little miracle of a child becomes one in the literal, spiritual and religious definitions of the word.
A couple things to note right off the bat: though it is nearly 400 pages, this is a one-sitting read. Make no mistake about that. The writing is tight, intelligent, and oozes realism without ever resorting to extremes or overtly dramatic moments and gestures.
Speaking of realism, the characters are some of the most genuinely mature I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. The broken marriage slowly facing redefinition, the other woman that never once feels like the stereotypical “other”, the religious zealots with a disturbing (and potentially supernatural) depth to them that is not so easily explained away—especially not when one considers the physical nature of certain characters to some, and the total lack of physical presence those same characters might have when placed in the sights of others.
Before I Wake is a book of miracles that doesn’t rely on the reader being a believer in any way, shape or form. Its weight is transcribed through the completely down-to-earth rationality and actions of its leads, and that weight is what not only grounds the spirituality and supernatural elements to the very real Victoria, BC setting of the book, but also allows for those elements to enhance the story in very unexpected ways.
Wiersema writes with a sincerity that cannot be forced. There isn’t an instance where the tone is betrayed or subverted for the means of addressing something that the characters wouldn’t be addressing themselves. The questions we would ask are the ones they are asking—a critical conceit seemingly absent in most books that attempt to marry the real and the spiritual.
What matters most though with a story like this is whether or not it was able to sink its teeth into me. So here it is: one sitting, and by the end my eyes were watering and it certainly wasn’t from staring at the pages for too long. This is a book that shouldn’t be missed by anyone. My anticipation for Bedtime Stories is now through the roof.
Before I Wake is one of my notable experiences of the year. I can’t recommend it enough.
“Many things, Henry,” he said. “Time is long and old men forget…”
“That’s not an answer.”
“No, it’s Shakespeare.”
***
My introduction to Wiersema’s work came earlier this year when, after being introduced to the CZP catalogue, I found a copy of The World More Full of Weeping at my local White Rock Indigo. A mildly traumatic story about a boy lost in the woods behind his home in much the same way that his father had gotten lost in them many years earlier, The World More Full of Weeping is a sucker punch of a novella: it strikes unexpectedly, and over the course of a mere 70 or so pages, leaves you breathless and distraught. Now with his latest book, Bedtime Stories, on the market (which I hope to have a chance to read in the next few weeks), I wanted to go back and see where Wiersema’s career as a writer began.
First published back in 2006, Before I Wake tells the story of Sherry Barrett and the single moment in time that changes not only her world, but the worlds of her parents, her parents friends and family, even the entire country. The book opens with Sherry being struck and abandoned in a hit and run accident that leaves her comatose. Accepting that she has experienced brain death, her parents Simon and Karen decide to remove her from life support. Just as they do, she begins to breathe on her own, and their little miracle of a child becomes one in the literal, spiritual and religious definitions of the word.
A couple things to note right off the bat: though it is nearly 400 pages, this is a one-sitting read. Make no mistake about that. The writing is tight, intelligent, and oozes realism without ever resorting to extremes or overtly dramatic moments and gestures.
Speaking of realism, the characters are some of the most genuinely mature I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. The broken marriage slowly facing redefinition, the other woman that never once feels like the stereotypical “other”, the religious zealots with a disturbing (and potentially supernatural) depth to them that is not so easily explained away—especially not when one considers the physical nature of certain characters to some, and the total lack of physical presence those same characters might have when placed in the sights of others.
Before I Wake is a book of miracles that doesn’t rely on the reader being a believer in any way, shape or form. Its weight is transcribed through the completely down-to-earth rationality and actions of its leads, and that weight is what not only grounds the spirituality and supernatural elements to the very real Victoria, BC setting of the book, but also allows for those elements to enhance the story in very unexpected ways.
Wiersema writes with a sincerity that cannot be forced. There isn’t an instance where the tone is betrayed or subverted for the means of addressing something that the characters wouldn’t be addressing themselves. The questions we would ask are the ones they are asking—a critical conceit seemingly absent in most books that attempt to marry the real and the spiritual.
What matters most though with a story like this is whether or not it was able to sink its teeth into me. So here it is: one sitting, and by the end my eyes were watering and it certainly wasn’t from staring at the pages for too long. This is a book that shouldn’t be missed by anyone. My anticipation for Bedtime Stories is now through the roof.
Before I Wake is one of my notable experiences of the year. I can’t recommend it enough.
July 5, 2012
I liked the writing style. And it was interesting to read each person's point of view.
And I didn't mind the story of Karen, Simon and Sherry ... though I found Karen rather pathetic and bland.
I wasn't buying into Sherry being a healer ... or that Henry was visual to some but not to others ... or the battle that has been brewing for thousands of years ... and there was way too much religion in it.
So would I recommend it? If you are looking for something different and buy into some of this stuff, then yes.
But it wasn't my kind of story.
And I didn't mind the story of Karen, Simon and Sherry ... though I found Karen rather pathetic and bland.
I wasn't buying into Sherry being a healer ... or that Henry was visual to some but not to others ... or the battle that has been brewing for thousands of years ... and there was way too much religion in it.
So would I recommend it? If you are looking for something different and buy into some of this stuff, then yes.
But it wasn't my kind of story.
January 26, 2016
3.5 stars.
June 15, 2017
DNF this book. It started off good but as the book went on, i was getting all the characters confused.
December 21, 2019
Look out for this one 👀- it starts out normal but after 100 pages I closed it up. Religion, ghosts and healings are not my thing - I could tell how it was going to turn out so I did not finish!😠
October 23, 2018
I was at the library just perusing the shelves, not intending to take a book out, when this gem caught my eye. I loved this book! It took me just over a week to read which is quick for me, meaning I couldn’t put it down. I loved the layout of the book defined by the character. I had read a review of this book & it almost turned me off. I’m glad I didn’t listen. I felt the complete opposite to that person’s review. I think after your child is in a terrible accident & left in a coma anything else that happens is peanuts. You’ve already been through the worst possible thing.
I can’t say I’m a believer in purgatory or miracles but this book does has an interesting take on what purgatory would be like & how just the idea of a miracle brings hope to those that need it most.
Not to mention the redemption that sets you free.
I can’t say I’m a believer in purgatory or miracles but this book does has an interesting take on what purgatory would be like & how just the idea of a miracle brings hope to those that need it most.
Not to mention the redemption that sets you free.
August 18, 2018
An emotional read, but couldn’t get
Over Simon and Mary, both selfish people, no matter how ‘guilty’ they felt! Wished Karen had been less civil and apologetic and never took back Simon! He would definitely cheat again!
Over Simon and Mary, both selfish people, no matter how ‘guilty’ they felt! Wished Karen had been less civil and apologetic and never took back Simon! He would definitely cheat again!
April 13, 2023
didnt expect the supernatural aspect of it but very much enjoyed it anyway. all’s well that ends well.
August 12, 2023
doesn’t even deserve 1 star. i was in not even 40 pages and it was the worst thing i’ve read
June 15, 2017
a good easy read
May 16, 2012
Before I Wake from Canadian author Robert J. Wiersema is a story about young Sherry, a 3 year old girl who is seriously injured when she is involved in a hit and run accident on a traffic crossing by a pickup truck driver.
Sherry's parents Karen and Simon Barrett face their worst fears when their only child won't wake from her coma and unfortunately their marriage fractures under the pressure. Karen takes Sherry home, hires a nurse and settles into a steady routine with daily visits from Simon.
The plot really starts to pick up pace when Sherry's nurse Ruth begins to suspect that Sherry has had a role in curing the painful arthritis in her hands. Ruth's sister is dying of cancer so she brings her to Sherry's bedside and places the comatose little girl's hand on her chest in an attempt to heal her.
Before long, news crews, journalists and pilgrims are outside the front of Karen's house asking for statements about the reported miracle healings and asking to see Sherry. However, along with them come religious protestors led by a shadowy figure, Father Peter who claims Sherry is a false idol.
He threatens the Barrett family and is never far away when bad things start to happen. Father Peter travels all around the world, following reports of miracle healings, and shuts them down by whatever needs necessary. Father Peter believes he's doing God's work and clearing the way for the return of Jesus. However as one character put it, "how do you know you haven't already met Him?" Wiersema has given us an interesting look here at religion, in terms of the Church, faith and miracles.
Meanwhile the driver of the truck is consumed with guilt, but when he decides to take his own life, he jumps from a cliff only to find a mysterious hand pulling him back. The driver finds himself living in the 'in between' and must find himself and his purpose. I enjoyed the supernatural/fantasy element to this novel and the so-called true identities of the truck driver's mentor Tim, and Father Peter.
Before I Wake isn't a sunny, bright story. This is a 'what would you do' story, and a thought provoking tale that makes you think about bigger issues. I especially liked the identity twist and the men living in the 'in between' at the library. I was really curious to know their stories and to be left wanting more at the end of a book is certainly the mark of a great read.
Sherry's parents Karen and Simon Barrett face their worst fears when their only child won't wake from her coma and unfortunately their marriage fractures under the pressure. Karen takes Sherry home, hires a nurse and settles into a steady routine with daily visits from Simon.
The plot really starts to pick up pace when Sherry's nurse Ruth begins to suspect that Sherry has had a role in curing the painful arthritis in her hands. Ruth's sister is dying of cancer so she brings her to Sherry's bedside and places the comatose little girl's hand on her chest in an attempt to heal her.
Before long, news crews, journalists and pilgrims are outside the front of Karen's house asking for statements about the reported miracle healings and asking to see Sherry. However, along with them come religious protestors led by a shadowy figure, Father Peter who claims Sherry is a false idol.
He threatens the Barrett family and is never far away when bad things start to happen. Father Peter travels all around the world, following reports of miracle healings, and shuts them down by whatever needs necessary. Father Peter believes he's doing God's work and clearing the way for the return of Jesus. However as one character put it, "how do you know you haven't already met Him?" Wiersema has given us an interesting look here at religion, in terms of the Church, faith and miracles.
Meanwhile the driver of the truck is consumed with guilt, but when he decides to take his own life, he jumps from a cliff only to find a mysterious hand pulling him back. The driver finds himself living in the 'in between' and must find himself and his purpose. I enjoyed the supernatural/fantasy element to this novel and the so-called true identities of the truck driver's mentor Tim, and Father Peter.
Before I Wake isn't a sunny, bright story. This is a 'what would you do' story, and a thought provoking tale that makes you think about bigger issues. I especially liked the identity twist and the men living in the 'in between' at the library. I was really curious to know their stories and to be left wanting more at the end of a book is certainly the mark of a great read.
July 27, 2019
Three-year old Sherry Barrett is in life support after being hit by a truck driver as she and her mother crossed a six-lane road in Victoria, BC. When the doctor reveals that Sherry will not wake up from her coma, they decide to let her go. The first of miracles happen - she does not wake but begins breathing on her own. When she is stable enough to come home, her parents hire a caregiver to help the mother but her parents' marriage falls apart as the husband's indiscretion is uncovered. The second miracle happens quietly as the caregiver realizes that her arthritis, the reason she retired from nursing, has completely disappeared. Immediately, she urges her dying sister to visit her at Sherry's house. After she is healed, the sister brings a friend who has been given mere weeks to live. Cured of her cancer, the friend breaks her story to the newspaper which spread the word internationally. Overnight, there were reporters, TV cameras, pilgrimages eager to be healed as well as religious protestors. Her mother Karen and father Simon deal with the deluge and in the process, rediscover each other. Henry, the man who was driving the truck, was so shaken that he tried to commit suicide but became a being that was neither in this world nor there so only certain people/spirits could see and hear him. Tim became his mentor. During the course of understanding his semi-existence, he saved the Barretts and their house from being torched. In the end, Sherry wakes up, heals and forgives Henry before slipping to the next world in everlasting sleep.
The storyline kept me riveted and unable to put the book down although I can see many topics that were not fully developed, explained or unbelievable. One was the calmness of Karen when she welcomed Mary into her house to share a meal as they discussed Simon. Second is the quick acceptance by Mary of Simon's departure from their relationship. Third is Judas', aka Father Peter, betrayal of Jesus that may not be familiar to most people. (And what is the role of Ahasuerus in the story?) There were other things that I had to ignore to be able to enjoy the book. Good but not highly recommended.
The storyline kept me riveted and unable to put the book down although I can see many topics that were not fully developed, explained or unbelievable. One was the calmness of Karen when she welcomed Mary into her house to share a meal as they discussed Simon. Second is the quick acceptance by Mary of Simon's departure from their relationship. Third is Judas', aka Father Peter, betrayal of Jesus that may not be familiar to most people. (And what is the role of Ahasuerus in the story?) There were other things that I had to ignore to be able to enjoy the book. Good but not highly recommended.
February 10, 2015
I give this book 1.5 stars. The beginning of this book drew me in and I was excited to read it. However, I struggled to make it to 100 pages as things started to slow down. I struggled to stay interested throughout the rest of the book and realized this wasn't at all what I expected. Even though the main characters of the book didn't consider themselves religious, much of the book focused on religion. These types of books are hard to keep my attention so I gave 1.5 stars for drawing me in at the beginning.
November 23, 2010
I have tried to read this book twice now. I can't get past the first couple of pages. This book is about a child being run over by a car, supposedly the child survives, and the story revolves around how the family and this child get through it. The reason I can't get past the first chapter- it is a pretty detailed description of the child being run over. Can't do it- makes my stomach curl. If the book were to begin after the child gets to the hospital, then I might be able to manage.
August 20, 2015
I must admit, I didn't realize that this book was going to have such a religious storyline. I am not a fan of starting a story to have it turn into a Christianity plug. Aside from that I also felt that the characters were flat, the husband was easily flitting between wide and lover, the wife easily fell right back into him, Leo followed Father Peter without question. I didn't feel like there was enough realism in this miraculous novel.
October 15, 2017
Hmmm the jury is out on this one! What a strange novel it was ... parts of it were good, very good, and other parts of it were just plain odd. I finished it and still don't know what to make of it. The "dark" side of the novel left me with more questions than answers and parts of it I really disliked. I don't know that I altogether "got it" but am presuming it was supposed to be about the good outdoing the evil. Didn't really get what happened to Henry in the end!
January 11, 2008
This was a very strange book. Supposedly, the devil was in the story, pretending to be the Father of a church, but it turned out he was actually Judas Iscariot.
The details of the accident in the beginning of the story caught my interest, but the constant change in who's talking or thinking made reading frustrating.
The details of the accident in the beginning of the story caught my interest, but the constant change in who's talking or thinking made reading frustrating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2010
Compelling although rather simplistically written. It seems more like a television script than a novel in some respects, although I enjoyed the descriptions of Victoria and local landmarks. I guess the author was saying something about formalized religion versus spirituality, but I'm not clear what.
January 29, 2012
This book takes place in Victoria BC which made it fun to read as I knew many of the places mentioned in the book. The story has a good against evil supernatural storyline. I enjoyed this book.
October 23, 2019
Characters: 2 (two-dimensional, not well fleshed out, bland)
Prose: 3 (pleasing at times but wholly unremarkable)
Plot: 3 (basic)
Moral: 4
Personal bias: 2
Prose: 3 (pleasing at times but wholly unremarkable)
Plot: 3 (basic)
Moral: 4
Personal bias: 2
Read
December 7, 2024When I first started to read this I couldn’t put it down… it slowed abit towards middle but then at the end I found it impossible to put down again! It was a good read
October 23, 2009
Enjoyed this book and would think anyone who likes Jodie Picoult would enjoy it as well.
April 12, 2018
I picked up this book at a charity book sale, not knowing anything about the author or the book. It turns out that this is a Canadian author's debut novel, and he completely blew me away!
The story starts off in April 1996, it is surrounds the Barrett family. Simon and Karen tried for years to get pregnant. Their dream came true when Sherry was born, but tragedy struck the family one day when Karen was going for a walk with Sherry who was three years old at the time. As they crossed the street at a crosswalk, the driver of a truck didn't see Sherry until it was too late. He swerved to try to go around her, but he struck her. She had internal injuries and severe trauma to her head, and she survived the surgery but was in a coma and on a respirator. Karen and Simon make the impossible decision to turn off the respirator because the doctor said she was brain dead, but Sherry manages to successfully breathe on her own although still remains in a coma. They make arrangements for homecare and take Sherry home. The relationship between Simon and Karen falls apart. He actually had been having an affair with a younger colleague even before the accident, and Simon moves out of their home and in with his new lover.
Sherry's homecare attendant notices one day that she no longer has any pain in her hands, and she marvels at the change. She has no idea what took away her pain, but she believes that somehow Sherry healed her. She tells her sister, who has terminal cancer, and invites her to come visit Sherry. She, too, is miraculously healed and the cancer goes into remission. News spreads of Sherry's ability, and the Barrett family is flooded with requests to see Sherry to be healed. Others think that she is an abomination and that it is the devil's work because only God can heal.
This book just absolutely tore my heart out! As a mom, my heart broke for Sherry. I was pissed off at how selfish Simon was, and how he left his family when they needed him the most. Karen truly had the heart of a saint, and she forgave Simon again and again and I'm not sure that I would have been so forgiving! This wasn't just the story of one family's tragedy, but also of good versus evil with the paramount feeling of hope.
Memorable quote:
“Part of life was never getting a chance to say all that you should to someone before they are gone.”
I can't believe this is Wiersema's debut, and I'm so excited to discover a new Canadian author! I have already requested more of his books from the library.
This review was posted on my book blog:
https://darlenesbooknook.blogspot.ca/...
The story starts off in April 1996, it is surrounds the Barrett family. Simon and Karen tried for years to get pregnant. Their dream came true when Sherry was born, but tragedy struck the family one day when Karen was going for a walk with Sherry who was three years old at the time. As they crossed the street at a crosswalk, the driver of a truck didn't see Sherry until it was too late. He swerved to try to go around her, but he struck her. She had internal injuries and severe trauma to her head, and she survived the surgery but was in a coma and on a respirator. Karen and Simon make the impossible decision to turn off the respirator because the doctor said she was brain dead, but Sherry manages to successfully breathe on her own although still remains in a coma. They make arrangements for homecare and take Sherry home. The relationship between Simon and Karen falls apart. He actually had been having an affair with a younger colleague even before the accident, and Simon moves out of their home and in with his new lover.
Sherry's homecare attendant notices one day that she no longer has any pain in her hands, and she marvels at the change. She has no idea what took away her pain, but she believes that somehow Sherry healed her. She tells her sister, who has terminal cancer, and invites her to come visit Sherry. She, too, is miraculously healed and the cancer goes into remission. News spreads of Sherry's ability, and the Barrett family is flooded with requests to see Sherry to be healed. Others think that she is an abomination and that it is the devil's work because only God can heal.
This book just absolutely tore my heart out! As a mom, my heart broke for Sherry. I was pissed off at how selfish Simon was, and how he left his family when they needed him the most. Karen truly had the heart of a saint, and she forgave Simon again and again and I'm not sure that I would have been so forgiving! This wasn't just the story of one family's tragedy, but also of good versus evil with the paramount feeling of hope.
Memorable quote:
“Part of life was never getting a chance to say all that you should to someone before they are gone.”
I can't believe this is Wiersema's debut, and I'm so excited to discover a new Canadian author! I have already requested more of his books from the library.
This review was posted on my book blog:
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October 22, 2017
As an avid CBC fan, I've been listening to Robert Wiersma for years, as the panelist on our local CBC show, "Beyond the Bestseller". Of course, his writing is always mentioned as part of his introduction, so I finally looked into this book and am very glad I did! I'll have to give his other books a serious look now, too!
What an interesting premise. It's a spiritual fantasy, of sorts. Sherry, a three-year old girl, is hit in a cross-walk, while crossing a major street with her mother. Her mother recovers quickly, but Sherry remains in a coma, in spite of having had the "plug pulled". She was not expected to survive. Now that she's been transferred to her parents home, some seemingly miraculous things start to happen and there's reason to believe that Sherry is the root of the miracles.
If you're looking for a completely plausible, totally believable read, stay away from this one. If you're interested in an interesting view of spirituality, and want to read a really well-written story, I highly recommend this book!
What an interesting premise. It's a spiritual fantasy, of sorts. Sherry, a three-year old girl, is hit in a cross-walk, while crossing a major street with her mother. Her mother recovers quickly, but Sherry remains in a coma, in spite of having had the "plug pulled". She was not expected to survive. Now that she's been transferred to her parents home, some seemingly miraculous things start to happen and there's reason to believe that Sherry is the root of the miracles.
If you're looking for a completely plausible, totally believable read, stay away from this one. If you're interested in an interesting view of spirituality, and want to read a really well-written story, I highly recommend this book!
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