Echoes in the Storm is a bundle of tension! I don't think I took a deep breath the entire time I was reading. Duke and Cammie's story is so poignant, full of so much pain and heartbreak. Ultimately, it's a story of survival, of second and last chances, of love. It's the light at the end of a long, dark path. I loved it.
Duke is a broken veteran. His body and soul are scarred from his time at war. He's full of anger and guilt. Cammie is the veteran of a much different battle. She's suffered the worst loss a mother can endure and lost her husband along the way. She's consumed by guilt, self-hate, and remorse. Both suffer from PTSD. While it seems that these two could only bring more pain into the life of the other, the truth is just the opposite. By sharing their pain, they each have a chance to begin to heal and move forward. They can offer balance, forgiveness, a future.
This book is beautifully written. I work with survivors with PTSD. Max Henry captured their struggle on page. Duke's need to push everyone away, Cammie's total self-giving; both forms of avoidance, both ways to punish oneself. Their inner turmoil, their common need for redemption. So much pain! Neither can undo the past, there is no way to fix what has happened. Maybe though they can begin to understand that they aren't to blame.
If you believe in fate, in second chances, in love, this is absolutely the book for you!