Stepping Into Sunlight

by Sharon Hinck

After Penny Sullivan witnesses a shocking crime, her world tips sideways. Suddenly things like getting groceries, mowing the grass, and returning phone calls are more than she can handle. But with her husband away at sea and her seven-year-old son depending on her, hiding in the closet isn't an option. Hoping to recover by the time her husband gets home, she picke up her trusty yellow notebook and formulates a restoration Do one kind thing for another person every day. The results are sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, and often brilliantly surprising... "It's official--if the book says Sharon Hinck on the spine, I'm buying it!"--Kathryn Mackel, bestselling author

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Contemporary, Faith, Mystery, Inspirational

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

http://www.sharonhinck.com/

Sharon writes "stories for the hero in all of us" - uplifting and entertaining novels about ordinary people called to extraordinary challenges.

She recently was awarded a Christy Award for Hidden Current. She's also won several Carol awards for both contemporary Christian fiction and fantasy, and was a Christy finalist for The Restorer - a genre-blending adventure of a soccer-mom in an alternate world.

When she isn’t wrestling with words, Sharon enjoys speaking to conferences, retreats, and church groups. She and her family make their home in the Midwest.

Reviews

[Sarah Grace Grzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was awesome! Such a sweet, if heartbreaking at times, story! It was very eye-opening about PTSD, and Sharon Hinck handled it in a very touching and sensitive way. The Christian themes portrayed throughout were spot-on, and very encouraging, even to someone who has never experienced what Penny Sullivan was going through. The characters were AMAZING! Bryan was ADORABLE, and Hinck did a great job portraying a 7 year old boy. Having a little brother close in age to Bryan, he felt very realistic. I also loved Alex. His compassion was touching and inspiring. Just such an amazing book! But beware, have your tissue box handy! I can't tell you how many times I tried to hold back the tears. (Note the key-word, "tried".)

CONTENT NOTE: Recommended for mature readers (14+) for violence.

[Abby Breuklander · Rating 4 out of 5]

God uses everything that we go through in life, it doesn't matter how big or small. He uses things that can make us stronger, help us love our neighbor and offer comfort and support to those who need it most. We may never get to see the fruit, but we can be sure that the ripple effect is always far reaching.

[Doreen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book as a close friend suffered severe PTSD. Instead I would rate it as one of the worst books I have ever read. Hinck tiptoes around PTSD so concerned that her readers might actually read anything difficult to envisage that she ends up totally failing to convey the terror or after shock at all. The other characters at the support group were actually more interesting than her main character and should have been developed fully and their stories told but that would have meant digging deep instead Hinck played safe with a brief mention of their traumas

I found the whole book frustratingly banal and a wasted opportunity to explore PTSD.

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok story about a woman with a deployed husband who suffered trauma right before he left and the recovery.

[Jackie Turberville · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept finding myself thinking throughout the book, “My, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but this is just not written well.” Poor and modern theology expressed itself through women preachers and a weak understanding of scripture in general. However, I did relate to a few aspects of Penny’s story, which brought both comfort in not being alone, and tears to my eyes.

[Debbie Vetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is healing.

It's a book of hope, of encouragement and a reminder that God is with you always. You just have to step back and look. You will see His handiwork even through your pain and tears. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

[Ellie Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good insight into what it is like to live with panic attacks and trauma. Hopeful and inspiring, with both good steps to recovery as well as some ways not to respond. God's grace seen throughout, with the reminder that the demands we place on ourselves regarding healing are not demanded by God.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opened my eyes to experiences I have not had. It gave me much more compassion and understanding about people who have had traumatic events and that they can't "just snap out of it" or get over it and move on.

[Margaret Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very well-written, but it was kind of hard to read, due to the subject matter. I don't want to give away the plot, but it is a very compassionate portrait of dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

[Melissa Herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read!!

[Lori Henrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good story, but the blurb that describes it is not exactly accurate.

[Dusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I probably didn’t start really connecting with the main character until halfway through, but once I did it was a ride. In the wake of surviving a violent convenience store robbery, Penny—the wife of a Navy pastor—struggles to raise their son and keep up with “life as normal”. Her childlike faith is shattered, agoraphobia encroaches, and depression dogs her every move. Her questions become more raw and her reactions more real as the defensively perfect layers of her personality get peeled away by the constant battle to just get through another day. This was a healing novel to read, and I’d recommend it to people dealing with PTSD and trauma.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the wife of a deployed Navy chaplain begins to experience severe symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, she is completely incapable of handling the day-to-day activities of life on her own. At first she's too stubborn and too fearful to admit that she needs help. She retreats into the safety of her home, afraid to venture out even to the grocery store. But as the episodes of anxiety and nightmares become increasingly worse, she knows she needs help. She embarks on a pay-it-forward-type project to do a good deed for one person every day. Through her project--and with the help of an unlikely mixture of hurting people like herself--she finally sees light glimmering at the end of the dark tunnel she's walking through.

This book is beautifully written, and Penny is such a realistic character that at times it's painful to read her struggles. Sharon Hink has such a lyrical way with words that at times I stopped reading to go back and savor a beautifully phrased sentence. Other times my eyes flew across the page, drinking in the story as I went. There are so many wonderful elements in this plot -- the delightfully odd next-door-neighbor, the long-lost brother with a frightening past, the charming and boisterous mission workers, the well-meaning mother and sister who make matters worse with their "just snap out of it" advice. I love a book that teaches me something (in this case, about PTSD) without lapsing for even a single moment into a preachy tone.

One reason I like Sharon Hinck's books is because she's so versatile. As a reader, I like books in different genres with vastly different styles. And Sharon writes books in different genres with vastly different styles. This book is completely different from her Sword of Lyric series, but the story is equally compelling, equally enjoyable, and equally steeped in the truth of God's powerful presence in our lives.

[Carissa Burks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows Penny, a Navy Chaplain's wife and mother of a seven-year-old boy, as she struggles to return to normalcy after witnessing a shooting at a local gas station. It chronicles her journey on her path to healing and coping with depression and PTSD. It shows how everyone has different limits on what they can handle and that's okay.

Overall, the book was well written and engaging. It portrayed an accurate picture of what life is like with PTSD and depression. It showed that even though you want to be better, there are those triggers that set you back and pretending that you're okay isn't always what's best. It showed a variety of reactions that people had to her conditions and how people honestly react to those that have depression or some other mental illness. It was a good portrayal of such a thing. The author did a good job of not making anyone feel small because of their condition and showed that with time, patience, and some help, you can be on the road to recovery.

There was only one part of the book that I had an issue with and that was when the main character, Penny, referred to the hamster as "transgender". I am sure the author did not mean anything buy it. However, it is a serious topic and serious issue. A hamster is not "transgender" simply because you gave it a boy's name when it is a girl. That one line rubbed me the wrong way, especially when there is a myriad of other ways the author could have chosen to describe the hamster.

All in all, it was a decent book. Definitely one to pick up if you know someone who is currently working through depression, PTSD, or another mental illness. It shows a bit of insight and how telling them just to "power through it" isn't always all that helpful.

(*Note I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.)

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book about trusting in God for healing even in the darkest of times. The main character, Penny, is suffering from PTSD after witnessing a horrible crime. Her pain is exacerbated by her husband, a Navy chaplain, who leaves on his first deployment. It's not perfectly written, I think some of the characters in her group are a little flat, but they grew on me towards the end. What I liked most is that Penny didn't find healing and peace in just one place. There wasn't one pill that cured her. And it wasn't one of those books that tell people, "Just trust in the Lord and read the right Bible verses and you'll be fine!" Penny found solace in the Lord, support in a Victims group, strength in helping others, and worked through her issues with a professional. I liked that there was no right or wrong way that she got through it, but that it was a collective of things and people that God put into her life. One character that came around in the end seemed a little out of left field and a little too perfect of timing, but that is how God works sometimes, so I got it. All in all, a great read about finding your way again when the night seems darkest. I liked that it was Christian without being too preachy or biased toward one denomination. I would definitely recommend it to others to read. A wonderful story of healing.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharon Hinck does it well in this story of Penny, a naval wife involved in a grocery robbery who suffers from PTSD. On top of it, she has moved to a new community and has a seven year old son. Here, you have high stress, fear, and a woman who feels she has to do it on her own. She is paralyzed by her fear, and can't deal with day-to-day affairs, even to the point of having groceries delivered. Eventually, she gathers the strength to attend a victim assistance group, and begins to reach out by doing something kind for one person each day. God is present, but much in background, until she reconnects.

It's realistic, and most satisfying. Characters are real, and you care about them. Many readers are suspicious of happy endings, but I don't think this one feels contrived. Hinck's style is very smooth, drawing you in with subtle paragraphs that make you think you're watching her turmoil. Excellent.

[Lynnda Ell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of us will never experience post-traumatic stress syndrome, for which I am profoundly grateful. If you've ever wondered just how that might feel, Stepping into Sunlight creates a space in which you can safely experience it in your imagination.

Many of us do struggle with depression. Some have clinical depression that can envelop a person for years. When the PTSD and depression collide in one life, it requires many prayers and desperate measures for Penny Sullivan to climb out of the pit.

This well written book pulls no punches when exploring the pain that can change our feelings of safety and well-being over night. It also gently offers hope and possibilities for recovery. This book is not for the faint of heart. It is worth finding the bravery to read.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but not for the reasons I usually enjoying reading. I usually pick up a book for the pure enjoyment of it. But this book was different. It was a journey for me. It helped me to look at myself in a different light. I think I related to this book because many of Penny's thoughts were similar to thoughts I've had. Although I have never experienced anything as dramatic as she did. As I watched the healing process throughout the book, something in me was healed as well. Just as a side note: The story was very simple and if I could not relate in some way, I probably would not have enjoyed it.

[Susanne]

This book quietly touched me. The depiction of one woman's journey through maintaining her daily life and responsibilites while struggling with acute symptoms of PTSDI, the inadequacies and feelings of failure, the insights into common social fears and responses to "hidden disability", growing awareness of the unfailing presences that love, belief in God and commitment to his words and works. The message of this book took me by the hand and has me, too, looking inside of myself with questions that challenge me to consider taking a step up in my personal journey and struggles, in a somewhat similar manner.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stepping into Sunlight records Penny's heartbreaking journey back towards her normal self after she is involved in a violent crime. Each day is a struggle against depression, stress, fear and expectations as she tries to be the mother her son needs and a strong wife for her deployed husband. Sometimes she's not sure she's going to make it; she's convinced she's having a mental breakdown. To try to keep herself together, she resolves to do something kind for someone else each day. Along the way, she meets people in her neighborhood, and a victim support group, and with the people God sends begins to piece her life together.

[Becki]

Penny Sullivan is trying to pretend that everything is alright when her world (internally, at least) has fallen apart. She has witnessed a horrendous crime and suffers from post-traumatic stress. Shortly after, her husband ships off to sea leaving her to raise their son in a strange place. Penny struggles through until she hits on an idea - her 'Penny Project.' This leads her to seek help in a variety of ways - an odd-ball counseling group, a run down mission, and more.\n\nI really like this story. It was well-written and I agree that first person was the right voice to tell it in.

[Doris Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is considered Christian fiction. I enjoyed it because it gave me ideas about how to improve my Christian life. It also had a beautiful prayer in it that I needed at the time I was reading it. It was a book about Post Traumatic Syndrome. I also learned something about this disease(?). I usually do not choose Christian fiction, but I had donated this book to the Lee County Library in memory of someone, so I wanted to read it to feel closer to her.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful introduction to Hinck's work. I have rarely found a fiction work that so closely related to my own challenges, both physical and spiritual. Hinck's portrayal of the main character's difficulties in reentering the world of normalcy rang true for me, and I found myself so encouraged by the counsel she was given, and by the lessons she learned about her loving Savior throughout the plot. I highly recommend!

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting insight in recovering from post-tramatic stress. A woman witnesses a shooting in a convenience store where an elderly couple died and she is shot at herself with the gun jamming. We get a first person viewpoint of all the emotions she goes through and the recovery steps from counseling and a small group session to a personal journal she keeps as she finds ways to do small kindnesses for others. This was definitely not a fun book to read but insightful.

[Cathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though this book does offer insight into those struggling with debilitating depression, as a story it is only so-so. If the plot didn't seem as glaringly contrived, I might be able to give it more credit.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this was a very insightful book. PTSD can be so crippling. I think it takes reaching out for help and God to get out of the pit. I thought it was a great book about a very painful subject.

[Hanna Sandvig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one took me a bit to get through, it's about a Navy chaplain's wife who witnesses a murder shortly before her husband deploys and has to work through the post traumatic stress by herself in a new town. It's not an easy read but it's very well done (as are all her books).

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly a Christian novel, which I didn't know picking this out from the library, but it was an interesting read. The main character underwent a traumatic event at a convenience store and it's her attempt to cope. Some good insights, but not a great book.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good description of how crippling it is to have PTSD and how hard it is to seek help. The power of sharing your story with others who have been there too. The healing that comes along with doing things for others. And above all,the love and healing that comes from God.

[Brittany Cochran · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book, however I think the ending could have had a little more time put into it. It seemed to end quickly. I liked the storyline, following behind someone that suffers from anxiety, PTSD, etc.
I will definately read more from this author.