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Beyond the Night
They say love is blind. This time they’re right…
As a woman lies unconscious in a hospital bed, her husband waits beside her, urging her to wake up and come home. Between them lies an ocean of fear and the tenuous grip of memories long past. Memories of wonder. Of love. Memories of a girl named Madison and a boy named Paul…
Madison Foster knew she was going blind. But she didn’t want pity–not from her mother, not from her roommate, and especially not from her best friend Paul–the man she secretly loved.
Paul Tilden knew a good thing when he saw it. And a good thing was his friendship with Maddie Foster. That is, until he started to fall in love.
With the music of the seventies as their soundtrack and its groovy fashions as their scenery, Maddie and Paul were drawn together and driven apart. Then one night changed everything…forever.
And only now, when life tiptoes past the edge of yesterday, along the rim of today, can they glimpse the beauty that awaits them…beyond the night.
As a woman lies unconscious in a hospital bed, her husband waits beside her, urging her to wake up and come home. Between them lies an ocean of fear and the tenuous grip of memories long past. Memories of wonder. Of love. Memories of a girl named Madison and a boy named Paul…
Madison Foster knew she was going blind. But she didn’t want pity–not from her mother, not from her roommate, and especially not from her best friend Paul–the man she secretly loved.
Paul Tilden knew a good thing when he saw it. And a good thing was his friendship with Maddie Foster. That is, until he started to fall in love.
With the music of the seventies as their soundtrack and its groovy fashions as their scenery, Maddie and Paul were drawn together and driven apart. Then one night changed everything…forever.
And only now, when life tiptoes past the edge of yesterday, along the rim of today, can they glimpse the beauty that awaits them…beyond the night.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 17, 2008
2 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Marlo Schalesky
20 books73 followersMarlo Schalesky is the founder and president of Wonder Wood Ranch, a California charitable organization that brings hope through horses to at-risk, gang-impacted, homeless, and other disadvantaged kids in Monterey County. She is also the award winning author of twelve books, including her latest nonfiction, WOMEN OF THE BIBLE SPEAK OUT, Stories of Betrayal, Abuse, Healing & Hope (2020), as well as Reaching for Wonder, Encountering Christ When Life Hurts, Waiting for Wonder, Learning to Live on God’s Timeline, Wrestling with Wonder, a Transformational Journey through the Life of Mary, and Empty Womb, Aching Heart, Hope and Help for those Struggling with Infertility. Her fiction includes RITA finalist Shades of Morning, the Christy Award winning Beyond the Night, and ACFW Book of the Year winner Veil of Fire.
She’s had over 1,000 articles published in various Christian magazines, including Focus on the Family, Today’s Christian Woman, Decision, Moody Magazine, and Discipleship Journal. She has contributed to Dr. Dobson’s Night Light Devotional for Couples, Tyndale’s Book of Devotions for Kids #3, and Discipleship Journal’s 101 Small Group Ideas.
She is a speaker, with appearances on Focus on the Family, Moody Midday, 100 Huntley Street, The Harvest Show, and hundreds of others. She is also a regular columnist for Power for Living.
Marlo is also a California native, a graduate of Stanford University (with a B.S. in Chemistry!). In addition, she has earned her Masters in Theology, with an emphasis in Biblical Studies, from Fuller Theological Seminary.
After twenty years on the infertility journey, and numerous miscarriages, Marlo now lives with her husband, six children, and fifty-some critters in a log home in Central California.
When she’s not cleaning up after critters of all kinds, doing laundry, or writing books, Marlo loves white mochas, reading the New Testament in Greek, and speaking to groups about finding the wonder of God in everyday life.
She’s had over 1,000 articles published in various Christian magazines, including Focus on the Family, Today’s Christian Woman, Decision, Moody Magazine, and Discipleship Journal. She has contributed to Dr. Dobson’s Night Light Devotional for Couples, Tyndale’s Book of Devotions for Kids #3, and Discipleship Journal’s 101 Small Group Ideas.
She is a speaker, with appearances on Focus on the Family, Moody Midday, 100 Huntley Street, The Harvest Show, and hundreds of others. She is also a regular columnist for Power for Living.
Marlo is also a California native, a graduate of Stanford University (with a B.S. in Chemistry!). In addition, she has earned her Masters in Theology, with an emphasis in Biblical Studies, from Fuller Theological Seminary.
After twenty years on the infertility journey, and numerous miscarriages, Marlo now lives with her husband, six children, and fifty-some critters in a log home in Central California.
When she’s not cleaning up after critters of all kinds, doing laundry, or writing books, Marlo loves white mochas, reading the New Testament in Greek, and speaking to groups about finding the wonder of God in everyday life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
July 11, 2015
Again - a random book from the library shelves... and again - I was grateful... The cover is cheesy - a bit embarrassed to be reading it on the plane... but I really did like the story. pg. 265 "...She thought about the last year... Ever since then she had been fighting. Fightin ggoing blind. Thinking people were feeling sorry for her. Caring more about what she was losing than what she still had. Unable to believe that God was in the darkness, that his love was greater than the blindness. So she grasped and clung, accused and hung on, when all she had to do was walk forward, face her fears and believe that God loved her enough to take her through even this, even the places where she couldn't see past the shadows. God hadn't betrayed her, fear had. It had cajoled and seduced, painted pictures without hope. Pictures she allowed herself to believe. if only she had fought the fear instead of the blindness." - A simple message I needed to be reminded of... It's about love - not fear...
May 22, 2019
Maddie and her husband Paul are driving on a dark country road in the middle of a pouring rainstorm. A deer in front of their car causes them to veer off the road. Now Maddie lies in the hospital in a coma, Paul at her side, urging 'Come, Maddie, remember with me. Remember the day I fell in love.'
Maddie flashes back to the day in 1973, when she and Paul were close friends, not wanting to spoil their friendship with romance. As they grow closer, they find out something that rocks both of their worlds. Maddie begins to go blind, with the same illness that caused her brother to commit suicide. Maddie's overprotective mother does not want Maddie to go down the road of her brother, so she tries to keep her in a protective cocoon. Maddie and Paul's relationship grows, until they must finally acknowledge their feelings before it's too late.
Beyond the Night appears on the surface to be a moving story of a relationship. It is that, but the ending is quite a shocker, even though I had inklings where the story was headed. The author is subtle in her revelation of the facts, and has more than one surprise up her sleeve for this tale.
The faith message, coupled with the storyline about going blind, added tremendous depth to Beyond the Night. Maddie and Paul's characters are both well developed and the reader comes to care about them and what happens to them. The pacing of the story is just right, revelations occur at the perfect moment to advance the plot and keep you moving toward the captivating conclusion. Marlo Schalesky is a gifted writer with the ability to communicate characters' thoughts and feelings clearly without getting bogged down in excessive detail. Beyond the Night is appealing on many levels, and those looking for an enchanting tale of a relationship will be thrilled at this offering.
Maddie flashes back to the day in 1973, when she and Paul were close friends, not wanting to spoil their friendship with romance. As they grow closer, they find out something that rocks both of their worlds. Maddie begins to go blind, with the same illness that caused her brother to commit suicide. Maddie's overprotective mother does not want Maddie to go down the road of her brother, so she tries to keep her in a protective cocoon. Maddie and Paul's relationship grows, until they must finally acknowledge their feelings before it's too late.
Beyond the Night appears on the surface to be a moving story of a relationship. It is that, but the ending is quite a shocker, even though I had inklings where the story was headed. The author is subtle in her revelation of the facts, and has more than one surprise up her sleeve for this tale.
The faith message, coupled with the storyline about going blind, added tremendous depth to Beyond the Night. Maddie and Paul's characters are both well developed and the reader comes to care about them and what happens to them. The pacing of the story is just right, revelations occur at the perfect moment to advance the plot and keep you moving toward the captivating conclusion. Marlo Schalesky is a gifted writer with the ability to communicate characters' thoughts and feelings clearly without getting bogged down in excessive detail. Beyond the Night is appealing on many levels, and those looking for an enchanting tale of a relationship will be thrilled at this offering.
April 8, 2008
You know those books that pack an emotional punch? The ones you can’t put down and then after you’re done with them you think about them for days?
That was Beyond the Night for me.
Flowing between the present-day scene of a woman floating on a sea of darkness - at times almost drowning - and her husband groaning for her to wake from her coma, and a series of flashbacks in the 1970s, the real treasure for me were the scenes between Paul and Maddie in their twenties.
With graduation on the horizon, Maddie’s life seems to be following her orderly plan. Get her degree. Become a doctor. Get married.
Yes, things are going her way. Until she starts to lose her sight.
Paul realizes his love for Maddie on the same night she begins to lose her vision. But how can he convince her that everything will be okay when experience has taught him it won’t be?
Schalesky has an incredible talent for building emotion in her scenes that is an effortless journey for the reader, who then finds themselves on the edge of the cliff with Maddie - did Paul mean it when he said he loved her???
Paul’s indecision and heartache over the past also really touched me, as I tend to be an “overthinker” and relive past mistakes. But he definitely redeems himself through the end of the story!
Using delicately weaved-in details, Schalesky managed to bring the past to life, even to someone who wasn’t alive during the featured decade. I think these minute details are what also allowed this reader to feel so close to the characters, so entrenched in the scenes.
This was my first Schalesky read and I will definitely be looking for her other books. Highly recommended.
That was Beyond the Night for me.
Flowing between the present-day scene of a woman floating on a sea of darkness - at times almost drowning - and her husband groaning for her to wake from her coma, and a series of flashbacks in the 1970s, the real treasure for me were the scenes between Paul and Maddie in their twenties.
With graduation on the horizon, Maddie’s life seems to be following her orderly plan. Get her degree. Become a doctor. Get married.
Yes, things are going her way. Until she starts to lose her sight.
Paul realizes his love for Maddie on the same night she begins to lose her vision. But how can he convince her that everything will be okay when experience has taught him it won’t be?
Schalesky has an incredible talent for building emotion in her scenes that is an effortless journey for the reader, who then finds themselves on the edge of the cliff with Maddie - did Paul mean it when he said he loved her???
Paul’s indecision and heartache over the past also really touched me, as I tend to be an “overthinker” and relive past mistakes. But he definitely redeems himself through the end of the story!
Using delicately weaved-in details, Schalesky managed to bring the past to life, even to someone who wasn’t alive during the featured decade. I think these minute details are what also allowed this reader to feel so close to the characters, so entrenched in the scenes.
This was my first Schalesky read and I will definitely be looking for her other books. Highly recommended.
September 16, 2020
This book was moving, it was slow to start and to be honest at the end I went back and read the beginning of the book because I knew I must have missed something. After the first 1/4 of the book that was a bit confusing (although becomes much more clear at the end) it was very very good and I kept finding snippets of time to finish it. At the end of the book I had tears running down my cheeks, tears, I always say a good book is one that evokes so much emotion that you laugh out loud or cry, so this gets a high rating. I recommend this book, I would like to try some more by this author I think. I am passing this one on to my mother, I know she will enjoy it! BTW it took me so long to read it because I had so much difficulty getting through the first few chapters, but it was worth it to push through!!
July 31, 2008
One reviewer compared Schalesky to Nicholas Sparks, but I don't think this quite measures up to his work. While it does have a nice and unforeseen revelation at its conclusion, this story is rather predictable. It also clearly reflects fundamentalist Christian values which is fine as long as the reader is comfortable with that.
October 16, 2009
Yes you can use flashbacks effectively in a story. As Paul waits beside his wife hospital bed, he remembers how she went blind. The author does an amazing job of pulling the reader into the story. Winner of a Christy for Contemporary Romance
Especially good for anyone facing illness and wondering if friends and family will stick by them.
Especially good for anyone facing illness and wondering if friends and family will stick by them.
June 23, 2010
This is the first time I have read any of Marlo Schalesky's books. I really enjoyed this one. It is a love story that reminded me somewhat of Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook. Unlike Sparks' this book took a hard look at faith in times when you are not getting the answers to your prayers that you really want. I enjoyed the book and would like to read more of her work.
August 2, 2010
I didn't care for the continual back and forth between present-day Maddie in her hospital bed and the flashbacks to when she first started losing her sight. The hospital storyline was way overdone and too repetitive. I also picked up fairly early on what the "surprise twist" at the end was going to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2010
I did not like this book. It had too many scenes taking place in the past and at the present time. You never knew what time sequence you were in. It also talked about a young lady that had macular degeneration. It reminded me so much of my mother and her struggle with limited sight. Not a good memory.
September 13, 2008
This is a good book about a women learning to cope with a different life then she had planned out. And a man learning to accept that new life. It has a twist ending, that I like, but the book drag in some places. Great book about placing Christ in the decisions we make in our daily life.
May 16, 2012
Got bored with it and didn't finish it. It wasn't extremely captivating. And because of that, the mystery just plopped. Sorry, but it did. There were a few aspects that I liked though... hints the 3 star rating.
January 24, 2009
Story revolves around blind girl on her death bed......
February 13, 2009
A squeeky clean story of love and faith. I really enjoyed it, and it has a surprising twist at the end.
July 8, 2009
A love story with an interesting twist at the end. I actually did not like the book until the end and then looking back i decided that i did like it!
February 11, 2010
As a woman lies unconscious in a hospital with her husband next to her trying to get her to wake up. Then the memories come.
There was a surprise ending, but the book was overwritten.
There was a surprise ending, but the book was overwritten.
May 24, 2011
The story was pretty good but this was one of the saddest books I have ever read.
August 7, 2011
I, too, enjoyed the twist at the end. I felt the back and forth writing between past and present was a little over the top, though.
January 29, 2016
4* I like Marlo Schalesky! The characters in this book have to deal with tough circumstances, but they survive. Emotional and inspiring.
July 14, 2013
Book is for the college-age group. Had a totally surprising ending.
August 10, 2025
This was a fascinating book. You start out thinking one thing, and when the book ends, it's nothing like you thought it would be.
Madison (maddie) is losing her sight to Stargardt's disease. Her brother had it, as did her grandmother. Her mother was overprotective and sheltered her brother until he died. Maddie is determined the same thing will not happen to her, so when Stargardt's makes its presence known to her when she was old enough that she thought she wouldn't have to worry about it, she was determined her mother wouldn't find out. She was in college in California and her mother was back in Boston, so it should have been easy for her mother not to know for a while yet. But the best-laid plans often go awry, and Maddie's plans go awry pretty much from the beginning.
Paul and Maddie have been friends for several years. Both of them, unknown to the other, have developed feelings for each other, but when Maddie starts losing her sight, she knows it could never be. Paul wants to fix everything, and he can't fix this.
While Maddie is trying to adjust to her rapidly-diminishing sight, Paul is trying to come to terms with a God who would allow something like this to happen to Maddie, no matter how much they prayed. Maddie is feeling betrayed by God and isn't even sure He's out there.
This book uses Maddie's blindness as a metaphor for the darkness we all have to pass through at different times in our lives. Maddie has to overcome her fear of the unknown, or come to terms with what she thought she knew turning out to be not how things really were. Paul has to decide if he loves Maddie enough to accept her, blindness and all.
As someone who is visually impaired, I live this life every day. I know when I'm reading something or watching something on TV that was obviously not researched very well, or the author doesn't really know what he or she is writing about and doesn't portray the life of a disabled person accurately. This book was good. I've had my visual impairment since birth, but the author clearly portrays Maddie's blindness as the metaphor of the darkness we all face in our lives, so I could see myself in Maddie more than once. The way this book ended was totally shocking.
Madison (maddie) is losing her sight to Stargardt's disease. Her brother had it, as did her grandmother. Her mother was overprotective and sheltered her brother until he died. Maddie is determined the same thing will not happen to her, so when Stargardt's makes its presence known to her when she was old enough that she thought she wouldn't have to worry about it, she was determined her mother wouldn't find out. She was in college in California and her mother was back in Boston, so it should have been easy for her mother not to know for a while yet. But the best-laid plans often go awry, and Maddie's plans go awry pretty much from the beginning.
Paul and Maddie have been friends for several years. Both of them, unknown to the other, have developed feelings for each other, but when Maddie starts losing her sight, she knows it could never be. Paul wants to fix everything, and he can't fix this.
While Maddie is trying to adjust to her rapidly-diminishing sight, Paul is trying to come to terms with a God who would allow something like this to happen to Maddie, no matter how much they prayed. Maddie is feeling betrayed by God and isn't even sure He's out there.
This book uses Maddie's blindness as a metaphor for the darkness we all have to pass through at different times in our lives. Maddie has to overcome her fear of the unknown, or come to terms with what she thought she knew turning out to be not how things really were. Paul has to decide if he loves Maddie enough to accept her, blindness and all.
As someone who is visually impaired, I live this life every day. I know when I'm reading something or watching something on TV that was obviously not researched very well, or the author doesn't really know what he or she is writing about and doesn't portray the life of a disabled person accurately. This book was good. I've had my visual impairment since birth, but the author clearly portrays Maddie's blindness as the metaphor of the darkness we all face in our lives, so I could see myself in Maddie more than once. The way this book ended was totally shocking.
January 16, 2022
WOW! I knew from page one this would be a tear-jerker. However, there were so many twists in the plot that I was kept wondering what was going to happen next. Then....the last 10 or so pages, a twist I did NOT expect. And...the tears poured. Highly recommend.
April 23, 2022
Kleenex warning! I would give this one a million stars if I could! Beautifully written.
February 1, 2023
Awesome story with surprising twists!
July 10, 2024
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I’m genuinely at a loss for words.
January 3, 2017
Quite a twist to the ending but a definite emotional punch. Worth the read.
May 20, 2020
Winner of the Christy Award with a cool ending twist. Great love story.
December 18, 2008
Beyond the Night
by Marlo Schalesky
Published by Multnomah books
To be released May 2008
----------------------------------
I love books that give the viewpoints of the same experience by differing characters. And, I love books that I can't guess the ending. Additionally, I love books about real love that endures like the wedding vows,"for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; 'til death do us part".
Beyond the Night fills that personal reading wish-list and gives even more. It's a book that when you read it, you are there with the characters - cheering them on, feeling their pain, sharing their joy. The characters become so real you feel you know them and are part of their story. The settings brought to life so realistically that you find yourself at the ocean, in the theater, on the racquetball-court right alongside the characters. And the emotions are so true to life that you will find yourself smiling, chuckling, and yes, crying
Just stop for a minute and think of the views you enjoy, the places you love to visit to drink in their sites, the faces of those you love best. Now imagine never seeing those things again...and that loss only being the beginning of the world of blindness. You are entering the world that Maddie is entering.
Beyond the Night is a tale of beauty centering around the love and relationships of the characters Maddie and Paul, as they journey into a world of darkness and fear, hospitals and memories. We see ourselves reflected in both Maddie and Paul, in their fears, in their hopes, in their dreams, in their ultimate realities.
Here's a snippet from the book: "The waves of Monterey Bay hit the rocks beneath Maddie and splashed up to wet her platform sandals. A flock of sea gulls squawked from an outcropping a hundred feet from the shore. Farther out, she could hear a group of scuba divers splashing as they swam past a line of floating kelp.
She wanted to do many things in her life -- ride in a biplane, white water raft, snowshoe in Yosemite, see the northern lights. She shivered. Many things she had hoped for, planned for, but scuba diving--going beneath that cold, black water--wasn't one of them. Especially on a day like today, when all was dim, dark. The water like night that never ends. She could tell that much at least."
In Beyond the Night, we are reminded that dreams, relationships, and life are fragile...and they are indeed handled best when handled with prayer, with love, with faith, and with appreciation.
Most importantly, reading this book will lift your faith and strengthen your faith. It reminds you that fear of the unknown is often worse, often more debilitating, than the unknown brought to life.
If you've ever battled fear, if you are now battling fear, read this book.
If your faith is being tested or has ever been tested, read this book.
If you're looking for a wonderful read that feeds the imagination and the soul - read this book!
by Marlo Schalesky
Published by Multnomah books
To be released May 2008
----------------------------------
I love books that give the viewpoints of the same experience by differing characters. And, I love books that I can't guess the ending. Additionally, I love books about real love that endures like the wedding vows,"for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; 'til death do us part".
Beyond the Night fills that personal reading wish-list and gives even more. It's a book that when you read it, you are there with the characters - cheering them on, feeling their pain, sharing their joy. The characters become so real you feel you know them and are part of their story. The settings brought to life so realistically that you find yourself at the ocean, in the theater, on the racquetball-court right alongside the characters. And the emotions are so true to life that you will find yourself smiling, chuckling, and yes, crying
Just stop for a minute and think of the views you enjoy, the places you love to visit to drink in their sites, the faces of those you love best. Now imagine never seeing those things again...and that loss only being the beginning of the world of blindness. You are entering the world that Maddie is entering.
Beyond the Night is a tale of beauty centering around the love and relationships of the characters Maddie and Paul, as they journey into a world of darkness and fear, hospitals and memories. We see ourselves reflected in both Maddie and Paul, in their fears, in their hopes, in their dreams, in their ultimate realities.
Here's a snippet from the book: "The waves of Monterey Bay hit the rocks beneath Maddie and splashed up to wet her platform sandals. A flock of sea gulls squawked from an outcropping a hundred feet from the shore. Farther out, she could hear a group of scuba divers splashing as they swam past a line of floating kelp.
She wanted to do many things in her life -- ride in a biplane, white water raft, snowshoe in Yosemite, see the northern lights. She shivered. Many things she had hoped for, planned for, but scuba diving--going beneath that cold, black water--wasn't one of them. Especially on a day like today, when all was dim, dark. The water like night that never ends. She could tell that much at least."
In Beyond the Night, we are reminded that dreams, relationships, and life are fragile...and they are indeed handled best when handled with prayer, with love, with faith, and with appreciation.
Most importantly, reading this book will lift your faith and strengthen your faith. It reminds you that fear of the unknown is often worse, often more debilitating, than the unknown brought to life.
If you've ever battled fear, if you are now battling fear, read this book.
If your faith is being tested or has ever been tested, read this book.
If you're looking for a wonderful read that feeds the imagination and the soul - read this book!
June 16, 2008
They say love is blind. This time they're right...
As a woman lies unconscious in a hospital bed, her husband waits beside her, urging her to wake up and come home. Between them lies an ocean of fear and the tenuous grip of memories long past. Memories of wonder. Of love. Memories of a girl named Madison and a boy named Paul...
Madison Foster knew she was going blind. But she didn't want pity-not from her mother, not from her roommate, and especially not from her best friend Paul-the man she secretly loved.
Paul Tilden knew a good thing when he saw it. And a good thing was his friendship with Maddie Foster. That is, until he started to fall in love.
With the music of the seventies as their soundtrack and its groovy fashions as their scenery, Maddie and Paul were drawn together and driven apart. Then one night changed everything... forever.
And only now, when life tiptoes past the edge of yesterday, along the rim of today, can they glimpse the beauty that awaits them... beyond the night.
My review:
Beyond the Night is an amazing love story that will make your heart sing. In some ways it had that sad/beautiful feel of yearning hope and unrequited love...sort of like the mood of Sparks's novel The Notebook, except this story wasn't rated R.
They beauty of the author's writing style filled me with awe, and the way she used dialogue and internal thoughts to convey deep emotion took my breath away. The interaction between Maddie and Paul was so beautiful it made you long for them to realize what they had. At times I wanted to climb through the pages and tell them to wake up and do something about the way they felt. It was awesome...and holy.
The spiritual journey was necessary and real, and didn't have a contrived element sometimes found in books where characters are angry at God for some loss they'd experienced. Everything flowed naturally. Even the scriptures.
Beyond the Night is also a fabulous illustration of the necessity of God's perfect timing. It shows how God knows our needs and understands our pain even when we don't. It brings to mine a pop song that goes... "You can't hurry love, no, you just have to wait..." You can't read this story without feel changed by story's end. I highly recommend it.
Beyond the Night was published by Multnomah and will be released June 17th!
As a woman lies unconscious in a hospital bed, her husband waits beside her, urging her to wake up and come home. Between them lies an ocean of fear and the tenuous grip of memories long past. Memories of wonder. Of love. Memories of a girl named Madison and a boy named Paul...
Madison Foster knew she was going blind. But she didn't want pity-not from her mother, not from her roommate, and especially not from her best friend Paul-the man she secretly loved.
Paul Tilden knew a good thing when he saw it. And a good thing was his friendship with Maddie Foster. That is, until he started to fall in love.
With the music of the seventies as their soundtrack and its groovy fashions as their scenery, Maddie and Paul were drawn together and driven apart. Then one night changed everything... forever.
And only now, when life tiptoes past the edge of yesterday, along the rim of today, can they glimpse the beauty that awaits them... beyond the night.
My review:
Beyond the Night is an amazing love story that will make your heart sing. In some ways it had that sad/beautiful feel of yearning hope and unrequited love...sort of like the mood of Sparks's novel The Notebook, except this story wasn't rated R.
They beauty of the author's writing style filled me with awe, and the way she used dialogue and internal thoughts to convey deep emotion took my breath away. The interaction between Maddie and Paul was so beautiful it made you long for them to realize what they had. At times I wanted to climb through the pages and tell them to wake up and do something about the way they felt. It was awesome...and holy.
The spiritual journey was necessary and real, and didn't have a contrived element sometimes found in books where characters are angry at God for some loss they'd experienced. Everything flowed naturally. Even the scriptures.
Beyond the Night is also a fabulous illustration of the necessity of God's perfect timing. It shows how God knows our needs and understands our pain even when we don't. It brings to mine a pop song that goes... "You can't hurry love, no, you just have to wait..." You can't read this story without feel changed by story's end. I highly recommend it.
Beyond the Night was published by Multnomah and will be released June 17th!
July 9, 2015
This book reminded me of the movie “Notebook” based on a book by Nicholas Sparks. This too is a story where Paul helps his wife remember their amazing love story!
Maddie, Paul’s wife lies in a hospital bed fighting for her life. Paul decided to remind her of how they met, the adventures in college, and how their friendship blossomed into love.
Each time Paul tells her part their story he stops and asks, “Remember Maddie?”
He hopes helping her remember will keep her alive. Remembering will give her something to live for.
There are many powerful revelations in this book but one really stays with me “Hope. It was a strong thing. Invisible. And real. Soft as a flowing stream, strong as a ragging torrent.”
I love how the author gives a word picture of hope. Marlo has her characters come to this revelation of hope in the story as well. Powerful.
Get your tissues ready before you start reading this heartfelt story of friendship, hope, deep love, and the discovery that God doesn’t leave us in darkness but longs to love us in it!
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com
Maddie, Paul’s wife lies in a hospital bed fighting for her life. Paul decided to remind her of how they met, the adventures in college, and how their friendship blossomed into love.
Each time Paul tells her part their story he stops and asks, “Remember Maddie?”
He hopes helping her remember will keep her alive. Remembering will give her something to live for.
There are many powerful revelations in this book but one really stays with me “Hope. It was a strong thing. Invisible. And real. Soft as a flowing stream, strong as a ragging torrent.”
I love how the author gives a word picture of hope. Marlo has her characters come to this revelation of hope in the story as well. Powerful.
Get your tissues ready before you start reading this heartfelt story of friendship, hope, deep love, and the discovery that God doesn’t leave us in darkness but longs to love us in it!
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
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July 15, 2013
I did not know what to expect while reading Beyond the Night. I was walking through the Adult Fiction aisles in my library and caught sights of this book. I picked it up randomly, and keeping up with my oath, did not read the back side.
Beyond the Night started out quite slow for me. It took me three days to complete it, and these three days were not consecutive. I got really into it towards the end though, when the characters finally warmed up to me. Paul seemed like a total jerk but you gotta keep faith on him as his background is explained and the answers to why he is the way he is are brought about. What got me hooked was the relationship of Maddie's family. If that wasn't included, this book would not have touched me or turned out so strongly. This is not just a love story. It's about loss, friendship, faith, losing that faith, family, and truth. I know many people will not enjoy this because it's a little confusing with the changes from past to present. But if you keep the story line going mentally, you will see the beauty of this story.
A little side note, I have to agree with people's comments on the cover of this book. It was a little cheesy for me. I think a simple black matte booke with the title written in cursive white ink would be perfect and a little less lovey-dovey. Cause that does not describe Maddie and Paul in any way. Thank goodness.
Beyond the Night started out quite slow for me. It took me three days to complete it, and these three days were not consecutive. I got really into it towards the end though, when the characters finally warmed up to me. Paul seemed like a total jerk but you gotta keep faith on him as his background is explained and the answers to why he is the way he is are brought about. What got me hooked was the relationship of Maddie's family. If that wasn't included, this book would not have touched me or turned out so strongly. This is not just a love story. It's about loss, friendship, faith, losing that faith, family, and truth. I know many people will not enjoy this because it's a little confusing with the changes from past to present. But if you keep the story line going mentally, you will see the beauty of this story.
A little side note, I have to agree with people's comments on the cover of this book. It was a little cheesy for me. I think a simple black matte booke with the title written in cursive white ink would be perfect and a little less lovey-dovey. Cause that does not describe Maddie and Paul in any way. Thank goodness.
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