Dash

by Laura Bontrager

When Jack has nightmares, they're about that day--the day he met Grace. When Grace dreams, she forces herself to wake up. But now they have a son together, and there is no waking up. They will just have to figure it out, how to live this life built on one day's horror.

Genres: Fiction

914 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 18, 2016

About the author

Laura Bontrager is a writer and library assistant living in Tennessee. Her influences include Madeleine L'Engle, Mary Stewart, the poetry of Lucille Clifton, and--to every grammar teacher's horror--William Faulkner. She has a passionate love for San Francisco baseball that almost rivals her love of writing.

Reviews

[Sadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot sum this book up in just a few short sentences, but I would say this is a story about love. Life for married couple Jack and Grace is never not interesting. With juggling demands of career, relationships, and their spirited son Dash, something has to give. And give, it does. Layer by layer, in the most poignant, honest, and surprising ways. This book breaks my heart with such gentle little fingers and weaves it back into something stronger, more lasting. Beautiful.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main characters, Jack and Grace, are a couple who survived a madman and are trying to navigate their family life together. Dash is their 18 month old son, and he's a handful. Their family histories and the horrific event that brought them together would challenge any couple. The story covers a week of revelations, miscues, fights and reconciliation. I enjoyed the fierceness of their love for each other. I wanted to smack each of them for their inability to communicate with each other. I sympathized with them, as they tried to tame their wild child, Dash. I worried with them when Jack's daughter makes a poor decision that could have had severe consequences. The story highlights how two people, who didn't grow up in normal, happy families, have to work together to find their way towards happiness for their family.
My reread caught more nuances to the story. I'm glad I read it again.