Promise of a Future

by Stephanie McCall

College was supposed to be Kate McCune’s first step towards independence. Instead, her cerebral palsy is in the spotlight now more than ever before. In fact, she’s increasingly terrified her disability will soon make her life little more than a prison sentence.

Kate’s aunt, Elinor McCune, has distanced herself from an abusive childhood. Married to a wonderful man and pregnant, she is haunted by the specter of her past. When Kate’s life derails, Elinor jumps in to help, and the two women begin a journey to make peace with the past and present.

With dark forces threatening inside and out, they must find the road that leads to freedom and the promise of a future.

Genres: Christian Fiction

316 pages, Paperback

First published January 6, 2014

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

The topic of disabilities and the way humanity, in any given country, chooses to treat those with disabilities is a difficult and heart wrenching topic to tell in story. There are those who have not experienced the situation directly, but indirectly. There are those who are living their disability. There are those who have never experienced but have witnessed a person with disabilities. Only a rare individual has not in some way encountered a disabled person and in some way shared at least a portion of their life.

For this reason, I feel this story is very one sided. The story is of a persuasive nature and does not present both sides.

Since the dawn of mainstreaming in schools, as a teacher, I have seen non disabled children embrace those with disabilities. One child came to school in a stretcher for his last year of his life. The child was heartily welcomed and included into the class by all the students. Another child who could only get around by walking on his hands spent several sleepovers with my son. They had such fun. I have a relative who will never have mental faculties higher than a twelve-year-old, yet she has numerous friends, a boyfriend, and a family who loves her dearly. A student in my class came from a foreign country and couldn't speak one word of our language. Yet the kids included him in all their games, wanted to sit by him at lunch, worked to finds ways to communicate. What an amazing sight! And, to relate to this book, a lady with CP attended my college. She was as much a part of our class as any other student. She was funny and a friend.

To be open minded, there may be those who yet suffer bullying due to their disability. The problem with this story is it does not allow for the fact that so many disabled individuals have found ways to live an included life, get married (Joni Eareckson Tada), have a career, and friends. Our fighting soldiers who return home disabled are an example. One is currently learning to dance on national TV even though he has only one leg and one arm. He is engaged to be married. True there are those who are working through their PTSD, my father did, and there are so many men and women ready to be their friend and include them.

There is no hope given in this story. We read in this book that all should lament for the disabled because they are all bullied, they are afraid to fight back, they are not given chances to participate--but this is not so.

I have seen, experienced for myself, and lived with many disabled men, women, and children who are making great contributions to their communities and the world around them, who have found joy and happiness, who, believe it or not have found a purpose in their life when some who have no disabilities near them have not.

Awareness IS important.
Both sides of the story should be presented...to be fair.

[Anne Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved, loved, loved this newest book by Stephanie McCall. I thought her first book was good but this new offering far surpasses the first. Mrs. McCall writes from the heart in this new work and it shows. The story is compelling, the characters are very believable, and the message is one that needs to be heard by everyone who has ever wondered if God really cares about them. It has been said that an author should write about what they know and with a Promise of a Future it is obvious that Mrs. McCall knows of what she writes. The story features a heroine that has cerebral palsy and her struggles with who she is and who she wants to become. Her struggles mirror those that every young person faces when I growing up. Kate however has to answer this question through the eyes of her disability and the limitations it imposes on her life as well as the expectations of those who love her and want to protect her from being hurt. I couldn’t put this book down once I started to read it. It offers those of us who are not disabled a glimpse into the heart and desires of the disabled that turns out to be not much different than ours. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Promise of a Future by Stephanie McCall focuses on teenager Kate who has cerebral palsy and Elinor, who makes it her mission to help Kate in her quest for independence. Both have deep secrets that they are hiding, and both are convinced that God does not love them because they perceive themselves to be too bad to be loved.
Kate and Elinor have a large close family who love them both, but as Kate struggles to be independent, her family are reluctant to release their control over her, and are smothering her with their love. Elinor and her husband Rob (Kate's uncle) want to see Kate achieve her goals, and risk alienating the family in their quest.
Elinor appears to have had the perfect life, but her childhood haunts her, as she attempts to hide it from all but Rob.
The novel is not only about daily struggles and battles that are faced, but goes much deeper. It is a struggle between a loving God and the lies that the enemy tries to sow in the hearts of the characters. The family does have God at the centre, but the individuals will need to learn to surrender to Him, and not to try to live in their own strength. Are Kate and Elinor ready to let go, and to let God lead them? Or will they continue to do life and face the spiritual battles alone? The answer is to read the book and find out.
I got deeply engrossed in the novel, and found the way Stephanie McCall portrayed Kate, with her cerebral palsy, very realistic and moving. As one who works with teenagers with this disability, I found that the daily life of Kate and the prejudices she faced, were not uncommon to situations I have seen. Elinor, too, with her struggles, was sympathetically drawn, and it was terribly easy to empathise with her too.
I now find myself hoping that Stephanie McCall will write more books about the family, as I want a sequel!

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an inspiring book! I loved this story...it was so amazing to read about the life of a young woman with cerebral palsy. Kate is just starting out in college and trying to find where she fits in. She deals with prejudice on a daily basis, as she struggles with her disability and the frustration when certain things don't come easy. I liked reading her thoughts and seeing her interaction with other students and teachers, some who are not so nice. This story makes it really clear what people with disabilities go through, as others treat them as second class citizens and don't take the time to get to know them as an individual person. A disabled person can contribute just as much as anyone else, they just go about it differently sometimes. Kate makes friends and learns that she has a talent for writing and being an advocate for students with disabilities. There is also a strong base foundation of family and faith in Kate's life. You can see in the family the challenges of Kate's disability and their own struggles with illness and family secrets. It's quite a book, and I highly recommend Promise of a Future. Thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Shari Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was full of challenging issues! For the main character, Kate McCune, setting off to college should have been a fresh new start and an exciting time in her life, but Kate finds herself questioning her purpose in life as she struggles with her cerebral palsy, self esteem, and bullying. The adults in her life, while wanting the best for her are in conflict, which affects Kate also. Her Aunt Elinor tries to help Kate deal with her issues, but is struggling with her own fears and secrets. I found myself cheering for both Kate and Elinor, but wanted to knock some sense into those that were causing them such pain, both physically and emotionally. This book would appeal to those who have dealt with physical disabilities, mental illness, bullying, child abuse and other challenging life issues. One outstanding feature of Hope Springs Books is the excellent resource section at the end of the book which provides a wide variety of sources to contact for further information. This is the first book I have read by Stephanie McCall and I look forward to reading more by her. I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Promise of a Future by Stephanie McCall is a lovely book about Kate and Elinor. Kate has cerebral palsy, but she is very high functioning. Kate is currently going to a local college where she faces bullying and discrimination from students and administration. Elinor is Kate’s aunt and has her own demons. Elinor is trying to overcome tragic childhood experiences as well as deal with her schizophrenic mother. Both Elinor and Kate are Christian’s but they both feel that they are too bad to be loved by God. In this book you get to see what people with disabilities face on a daily basis. In this day and age it is a shame how people with disabilities are treated. There are some wonderful lessons in this book (about faith, loving yourself, standing up for what is right). I enjoyed reading Promise of a Future and look forward to reading more books by Stephanie McCall. To find out what happens with Kate and Elinor, please pick up a copy of Promise of a Future (available on Amazon.com). I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogs...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Promise of a Future is the first book I've read by Stephanie McCall, but it won't be the last.
She's not afraid to tackle tough topics, and this book includes how the education system handles students with disabilities, schizophrenia, family nuances, and more. I found the issues informative without being preachy.

I liked the characters of Kate and Elinor. Their fears were authentic, and I rooted for them both to overcome their obstacles.
At times their family members drove me crazy--grounding a college kid for something little seems silly. I was frustrated for Kate to have to deal with that.
I was glad when it was revealed why Vanessa was so hateful because it didn't make sense for most of the book. (I hope we find out more about Vanessa in a later book...love a good redemption story.)

Overall, it's a great read. I loved the character development, and McCall definitely gives readers two characters to love/root for!

[Joyful · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome read! This book is full of love and conflicts as Kate deals with cerebral palsy as a college student. The ups and downs of her struggles are realistic and sometimes painful. This book helps bring understanding of the hardships that a handicap person goes through while trying to live life as normal as possible. I loved this read and highly recommend this author. I was given this copy for an honest review.

[Mary Sidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important story. The very appealing character of Kate McCune portrays the hopes and fears of a typical college student struggling to find her place in the world, as well as her own particular struggle with cerebral palsy. In contrast, the hopes and fears of her parents and other adults who care about her are genuinely presented as they attempt to help Kate go as far as she can—-while also trying to protect her from harm. Easy answers are not given, and you keep reading because you are not sure how everything will turn out for Kate, but the ending is satisfying, and there is much to think about. I would highly recommend this book not only to young adult readers, but also to adults with teen children and those who work with the college age group. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[Becky Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book dealing with cerebral palsy, disabilities, & fear! I was drawn into the book at the very beginning. This book is not only an eye-opener, but also has excellent words of wisdom for everyone. Several of my favorites in this book are: "The Bible shows fear can make us do unwise things," we need "God more than His blessings," and "Most of us wear some kind of mask every day, & we often don't look to see who's behind each one." My favorite characters in the book are Rob & Elinor, who are both endearing. Rob is so patient, kind, & wise. And Elinor reminds me of her namesake in Sense & Sensibility - calm, thoughtful, kind... This book is worth the read!!! I was given a copy for my honest review.

[Janice Sisemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate deals with bullying and issues at college because of having CP. Her aunt Elinor decides to help Kate become more independent but has issues of her own. She a hard childhood due to her mothers mental illness. Elinor is worried the same will happen to her. Kate wants to go to college somewhere else but her parents want her to stay home. A lot of conflict and a lot of love between the characters. I received the book in exchange for a honest review.

[Deanna Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story deals with some hard topics and the author covers them well. With compassion and hard truths that take us into the lives of those with disabilities, this book covers how cerebral palsy, bullying, discrimination, schizophrenia and life experiences can affect those with disabilities as they face each day. It made this a heartfelt story that will show you that even those most affected can have a Promise of a Future!! I was gifted a copy for review.