On 9/11, Ellie’s life changes forever. She leaves the insanity of that horrific day and her abusive boyfriend behind for a chance at a new life. Eighteen years later, she discovers her sister needs a kidney. Her Connie believes she perished when the towers fell. Will she contact her sister, revealing she didn’t die, or will she remain anonymous? Ellie doesn’t believe in God…that’s about to change. While she struggles with her choices, her son asks to attend youth group at a friend’s church. While she agrees, it’s the last thing she wants. She’s discovering a different way to live through the new man in her life and her church family. Will she trust in the God she’s only begun to understand to help her make…this life-changing decision?
I loved this book! After I started reading it I could not put it down. Any book Vicki McCombe writes is well worth the read! I have read several of her books and will continue to read as long as she writes. They all have a little bit of everything. In them.
Every now and then, you read and book that affects you emotionally, and that is how this book was for me. Ms. Vikki McCombie’s writing was so intense; an emotional roller-coaster ride, I felt the pain and joy in the story. This isn’t a preachy story but shares a peace when trusting in the Lord. I did not want to put this book down until I finished it; I was so invested in the storyline and characters.
The story is an emotional tale, one full of dilemmas, life and death decisions, while at the time borders right and wrong, lives hang in the balance. The main character, Ellie, must make some tough decisions at the spur of the moment, and it isn’t just for her, it will be for a life she carries. Fast forward from that fateful day of 9/11 to the present and it is Ellie, and her son, Zach—and this will be the rest of the story.
In life, we are constantly making choices, and those choices impact our lives in the present and the future. For Ellie, leaving New York and starting over in Virginia Beach wasn’t a callous act, but one of preservation and new beginnings. Finding a place to live, a job, and planning for not only her future but that of the child she is carrying. Now, Zach is a smart young man, loves playing soccer and is looking at his future and colleges. Ellie has moved up in her job and has done well as a single mother and individual.
But, something is missing in both their lives and how each of them handles a new development when church and religion are introduced. Ellie was never one to attend church, her one time as a child still terrorizes her, but Zach and Ellie have been invited to a Wednesday night potluck dinner and discussion, and he really wants to go. The experience comes with mixed emotions, and Ellie discovers that not all churches and preachers are the same. They are welcomed with open arms, friendship, and no judgment. God placed the Henderson family in the lives of Zach and Ellie and offered them love and acceptance within a church family.
The story deals with violence, disaster, family issues, religious issues, unexpected circumstances. It is second chances and new beginnings, but it also includes confronting the past and making the right choices. The story is heavy on right and wrong, and how other people perceive it. While the story does have many scenes around church, prayer, and religion, what it isn’t is preachy. It is a story of finding faith, a loving God, and a church family of friends, and acceptance. It is a great reminder that we are all human, we have all made mistakes, and that there is a God who loves us so much that through His Son, we can have forgiveness and peace.
Two families, that of Ellie Branson and her son, Zach, and Jason Henderson and his children, Brian and Kelly, will become well acquainted, and in the process, a love story begins. One family has never needed God or religion and the other can’t imagine their life without their faith. Can the Henderson family show the Bransons the love of God and help them find a peace they have been missing? Sometimes in life, with the faith and trust in God, we must step outside our comfort zone to move forward towards happiness.
Ellie has a few secrets and convictions that will have her opening up to a few people she trusts about her past. Will she be shunned or embraced and offered help and support during a crisis? While more than eighteen years have passed, will Ellie be able to open an old wound, and take a chance on healing and maybe saving a life? Will a rift from her past finally heal?
Life is all about choices, and even when we make poor choices, sometimes we can correct them. It’s not about right or wrong—it’s about how we handle life and new beginnings. Ellie is a survivor, a protector, and a loving person—maybe she can find true love in the end.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book. It strengthened my personal spiritual journey along the way. Ellie’s journey from a nonbeliever to a believer overwhelmed me at times as I wrote it. There’s several scenes that had me wiping tears away, and my heart grew lighter. If Ellie’s story helps one person’s spiritual journey, then After Shock: Ellie’s Chance will be a huge success. Thanks for considering my book. I hope you enjoy it!