REVOLUTION, by Dr. Rebecca Sharp, is the story of Kacey Snyder, a mechanical engineer from a small town in Pennsylvania, who is pursuing her dream of becoming a champion NASCAR driver. "There is no place for a woman in a man's sport," is what she has heard over and over, but she's not one to cave to misogyny. When a literal run-in with a competing driver, and the aftermath of their confrontation, is caught on camera, she is forced into a year's suspension from the track. Her father, her biggest fan, lets her know that she still belongs on that track. It isn't too long before she gets a call from Renner Voigt, race car designer and team owner, asking her to race for him, but it's not a NASCAR race he offers, it's an INDY car at the Indianapolis 500. Again, she asks herself, does she belong there?
Garrett Gallagher, engine god and master mechanic, is a surly Irishman who seethes when he first meets Kacey. His first words to her were, "Ye don't belong here." Again? Another person doubts her? Garret's mind is in a bad place. He's faced family tragedies and they've left him with the belief that he is somehow responsible for the heartache. Single handedly, he's trying to "set things right." His only bright spot is his late brother, Danny's, daughter, Claire. She's in the hospital, fighting for her life, and Garrett's place is with her because, in his eyes, he owes Danny. He is willing to give up his own happiness for her. His feelings toward Kacey are starting to change as he realizes what a dynamo she is on the track and how well she handles the car. He begins to doubt the opinion he had of her, just from reading the newspaper accounts of her exploits at Daytona that got her suspended for the season. He's a hypocrite, given what's been written about him. The layers peel back on both of them as they find themselves in close quarters, and their true feelings start to surface, but neither one knows what to do about it. The subtitle of this book should be RESTRAINT. It is the word, the exact word, that reveals the heart of the story. Too much restraint holds you back from experience, but too little can cause your world to spin out of control. When restraint is applied just right, happiness results. After all the restraint comes the revolution. Revolution is not letting the things you didn't do, define your life. It's making sure that the things you do, show who you really are. Ms. Sharp chooses her words wisely and uses them skillfully to create a story that is fraught with emotion, dignity and desire. Most of all, it's a story of having hope and finding your dreams!