Winter Light

The Mary Donahue Chronicles #1

by Martha Engber

Fifteen-year-old Mary Donahue of suburban Chicago is a kid on the cusp of failure during the brutal blizzard winter of 1978-79, the end of a hard luck, hard rock era sunk in the cynical aftermath of the Vietnam War.

Though a smart, beautiful kid, she’s a motherless girl raised by an uneducated, alcoholic father within an extended family of alcoholics and addicts. Aware that she’s sinking, she’s desperate to save herself and so reaches out to an unlikely source, Kathleen, a nice, normal kid from English class.

But when the real storm hits, the full force of a harsh adult world almost buries Mary. Only then does she learn that the only difference between life and death is knowing when to grasp an extended hand.

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

260 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2020

About the author

Martha Engber is the author of six books. SCATTERED LIGHT (https://vineleavespress.myshopify.com...), the sequel to WINTER LIGHT, an IPPY Gold Medal Winner for YA, will be published Nov. 25, 2025.

Her other fiction includes THE FALCON, THE WOLF AND THE HUMMINGBIRD, a historical novel, and THE WIND THIEF. Her nonfiction includes BLISS ROAD, a memoir about her neurodiverse family, and GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS, a resource for writers.

A workshop facilitator and speaker, she’s had a full-length play produced in Hollywood and fiction published in a variety of literary journals. She and her screenwriting team have optioned a TV series to a studio. She encourages readers to connect via her website, MarthaEngber.com.

Reviews

[Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Laird · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tough one to review, but in a good way.
There are some serious themes dealt with in this book, which were difficult to listen to. I think this speaks for the author's talent and the narrator's ability to carry the power of these issues that make them so compelling.
The wonderful way the author has tackled these is quite something, and I feel it is one I will return to again. It is rare for me to do that- my TBR is huge!

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely heartbreaking. There are redemptive and heartwarming moments but you have to endure some serious pain to get there. My heart was shattered so many times reading this. Whether you are a parent or not, I don't think anyone can read this without crying for Mary.

Both the title and setting are very carefully thought out in my opinion. This is a coming of age story that focuses on hope, change, resilience and the true power of friendship. This is a story that feels raw and real, it's not hard at all to relate to the characters and their struggles.

I definitely recommend it.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Tom Gillespie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something very beautiful at the heart of Winter Light. At first, I feared this would be just another well-worn tale of a self-obsessed teenager’s descent into nihilistic oblivion. But author Martha Engber plays a blinder, and within a few pages, the depth and complexity of this masterful story begin to weave a mesmeric spell, as Mary, the central protagonist, battles to escape the domestic and socio-economic shackles that bind her to an unwanted fate. There is so much to love about this book. I loved the authenticity of the 70s setting; the music, fashion, and teenage angsty worlds of that time. I loved the effortless beauty of the language and the stark realism of the dialogues. There is an aching and heartfelt melancholia that subtly envelopes the story, and reminds me of the great movies of Gus Van Sant and the songs of Springsteen. I loved the pace, the urgency, the short chapters that propel the narrative onward, and capture perfectly the significance of both the tiniest fragments and life-changing explosive events in Mary’s fragile life. But above all, I loved Mary. As the story progresses, Mary becomes a heroine, a resistance fighter for her own freedom and future, and I was completely swept up in her emotional, physical, and psychological war with the forces that try to destroy her. She is a magnificent and inspiring force of nature and one of the most compelling and truthful characters I have read in a long long time. Winter Light is a profound, deeply moving, and relentlessly powerful novel that completely blew me away and left me grieving for more. An absolute triumph!

[Penny Lapenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give this book a chance. I started out thinking it was normal teen YA territory, but quickly got a sense that this character went deeper than the average teen read. It's more like Shameless meets Catcher in the Rye!

This author knows that some teens have really been around the block a few times before they leave school. And yet, they still want what all kids want - security, love, hope, friendship, a place to belong, new pj's and some sweet treats. But the real world is out there lurking, and before they have even had a chance to work out who they are, and what they might be able to achieve, there's someone or something trying to knock them down.

Be prepared for the story to turn harsh and gritty. I appreciated the author's subtle steering of the story, and the powerful emotional moments packed a punch, without being being too gratuitous. Worth a read, and if you have an older teen who can handle it, pass it on.

[Carolyn Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter Light is a marvel of a book.
Not everyone makes it through a tough childhood. Martha Engber’s novel follows Mary, a teen we root for at every turn as she struggles through hers. Mary’s day to day blunders, small victories, and survival techniques are rendered with a keen and compassionate eye.
Engber's prose perfectly captures the textural details of adolescent life in1978. These evocative descriptive passages give true weight, and an essential lived-in quality, to Mary’s fight to come back from a series of wrong turns and bad choices. The trajectory of Mary’s battle to overcome the odds feels at once both heartbreakingly specific to this tale and universal in its grasp of what it means to break out of the particular box you were born into. Highly recommended.

[Joylene Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter Light is a wonderful story about a girl who never asked for any of the crap that's happening to her. She wants to save herself, but like most teenagers, she's doesn't know how. And besides, who can she trust? Fifty years ago, I knew a girl like Mary Donahue; she was one of the lucky ones. Today, there are too many girls struggling, just like Mary, and there shouldn't be. Scholastic needs to choose this novel for its school curriculum.

[Melanie Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary, the protagonist of Martha Engber’s Winter Light, is a teen character to root for. Her familial struggles, secret hopes, and unexpected setbacks make this a page-turner, as does the vivid prose descriptions and authentic dialogue.

Set in December 1978 until March 1979, the pacing crackles and moves at a satisfying clip. There are suspenseful plot twists until the very last line of the final page.

The adult characters are well-rendered, featuring realistic human foibles, good intentions that are sometimes failed or flawed, and complex characterizations. Mrs. McCarthy is one of my favorite depictions of a mom in literature.

This is a novel, and an author of great talent, to watch.

[Vicksberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I wasn’t into Mary, a teen who only wants more but had no idea where to start. Then, the pace kept me interested and as I got to know her, I was rooting for our protagonist. Stay wit it, it’s not your average YA. Great Read.

[Carolyn T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter Light is the story of Mary Donahue, a teenager struggling to find her way when her destiny seems predetermined. She knows she doesn't want the life she is heading towards but finding a way out appears all but impossible. A compelling read, keeps you rooting for Mary until the end.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:
I loved everything about Winter Light. From the cover, to the plot, and the characters, this book drew me in and kept me invested all the way through.
Mary is a teenager who is very easy to relate to and cheer on. The struggles of finances hopes, and setbacks created a pageturner that I really enjoyed.
I think this author’s strong point is dialogue. It was so authentic and it really helped me understand the characters.
This was an excellent read. Highly recommended!!
Rating:
5/5☆
*I received a free copy of this book from Rachel’s Random Resources in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*

[Roz Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had such a powerful impact, it crept up a hit me all at once. Mary is such a troubled young girl who has had to see and endure so much in her young life. She has only her brother Danny that she can rely on. A girl who has been made to feel worthless and yet has had to fight for every little thing she has. Her friendship with Kathleen, a girl who everything Mary doesn't, food, warmth, love, family and the innocence of childhood, was such a contrast to Mary's other experiences of what a friend is. For the first time, someone other than Danny, doing something nice because they genuinely cared about her.


The character development was such a journey and I felt Mary struggle to find her place in a world where it feels impossible to escape. She really grew on me as the story unfolded. I also really liked Danny and Kathleen and of course Mrs McCarthy.


The author did a super job of explaining the impact of childhood trauma. How for some young people the damage is so great that they don't know how to accept kindness, how not to self-destruct.  This is sadly all too common when children haven't been the priority and their needs have gone unmet for too long. Honestly, this was captured in such a real, raw and yet beautiful way. Despite everything, Mary wanted things to be different and she was brave enough to take a chance even when she felt it would all blow up in her face. This is why we shouldn't give up on the troubled, disruptive teens. They are screaming out for help, just like Mary. It is easy to see Mary's behaviour and be dismissive, but look how little it took to give her world a whole new meaning. She just needed someone to care enough to really see her and value her.


This is so well written and had me feeling all the emotions, but what I really wanted was to just give Mary a big hug! This is a book that will stay with me for a long time.


Huge thanks to the author, publisher and Love Books Tours for providing a copy of the book to review.

[Doreen Ashbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very dark. That being said, I found this book to be mesmerizing. Jane, the main character, is a teenager with ample smarts, but life just won't cut her a break. After being disappointed and knocked down again and again, she is in search of just one person who will validate her existence. The last few pages tell it all. Sad, but wonderful at the same time. Thank you Goodreads Giveaways.

[Annalisa Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking and absorbing, this novel explores the idea of nature versus nurture, and the way you live to the expectations of your peers and surroundings, even when you step back and see your situation with the eyes of an outsider.

Despite being a 15-year-old burnout at school, Mary holds down a steady job to support her family, and wants a better for her family, especially her beloved brother Danny - more so for him than for herself. But, oh how hard it is to turn your back on everything you know. Mary makes bad decisions, knowing the consequences, giving in to the image she presents to her friends and to the world.

When she does step up and vow to do her best, circumstances work against her, and life spirals out of control with one devastating event after another, until the final heart-racing chapters.

In Mary, Martha Engber has created a character you root for, that you care for. I couldn't wait to dive back into the novel. Engber tells the story with compassion and empathy, and although the subject matter is harsh and gritty, her writing is beautiful.

[Phill Provance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martha Engber’s novel, Winter Light, is a superbly realistic invitation into a chilling urban landscape. A period piece set during the bitter Chicago winter of 1978-1979, we are dropped squarely into the rough, fifteen-year-old life of Mary and all the nervous teen energy orbiting her as she maneuvers for survival.

She endures her days with her loose gang of friends, hardly getting by in school, watching for the next party to score drugs or beer. It’s a constant struggle that's often fraught with dangerous close calls even as a classic tale of teenage jealousy plays out in that great mixing pot most of us remember as the disaster of public high school; it's also, realistically enough, a tale that accurately depicts confronting hometown streets and boring weekends, when tedium grinds you into a paralyzing depression.

While not much exists outside of Mary’s sphere of influence, a shaky cross-class alliance is formed when she steps in to stop a fight between one of her buddies and Kathleen, a “prep” she’s barely spoken to but respects enough to defend. Mary is drawn to Kathleen in a curious way over the course of the story, both of them pushed closer and pushed apart, often by their own faults, sometimes through no fault of their own.

By the end there’s a genuinely hard-fought redemption for Mary, a payoff rare amid today's glut of teen-lit brain candy. Rarer still, Winter Light is so well-written and believable that it transcends easy classification as a "YA novel," offering something for the kids, yes, but also entertainment and edification for the mature adults among us.

[Fee (Ebook Addicts) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winter Light is set in the winter of 1978 and the harsh realities of Mary's life. She is a burnout, her mother died her father is an alcoholic and she is very away that her life will go on a downward spiral. One day she strikes up a friendship with a preppy girl Kathleen and she gets a glimpse of what life could be like for her if she had the opportunity.

This was a heartbreaking, gritty read and as you read on you can't help but root for Mary to get the life she wants, but at the same time every decision she makes seems to stack against her.

I got engrossed with the characters and the story that Martha Engber has weaved with this book

[Bette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really takes me back to a time and place where "Running From the Devil" wasn't just a song on the radio. I fled decades ago, and it's not a place I like to visit, but I'm making my way through the pages here. Rooting for both Mary and the prep!
 
Brilliantly conveys how the same events can be experienced in vastly different ways by different people - say "warm and fuzzy" versus "nightmarish intense." And how difficult, hazardous, and painful it can be for both sides to reach across the two worlds. More power to those who attempt to make it across.

I'm only part way through the book, and I can only read in bits, but I'm hopeful both Mary and her friend survive the journey. Thank God for the Mrs. McCartheys out there.

Okay, I finished it. Wow, at some point, I will have to write a proper review, but for now I'll say I'm glad my experience wasn't interesting enough for a novel! I did identify with Mary on some levels, but I thank my lucky stars I also identified strongly with the prep. I've bridged the social/ educational/ economic divide from all sides, sometimes getting help from those who were stronger and often giving help to those less fortunate. As an adult, I also identify with Mrs. McCarthy, though probably not quite as strong.

[Dollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so invested in the protagonist, a fifteen year old girl named Mary, and her battle to survive. Her instincts lead her to fight fiercely for herself but the poverty and violence present in her life and the lives of her older brothers created a nearly impossible wall of despair to climb. She befriends a classmate who lives a life so unlike her own, she dares to imagine a plan and a path to a better life for herself. The contrast between their lives adds both hope and tension to the story. They forge a very fragile friendship. The obstacles to Mary's escape are very real and sometimes very dangerous. Set in the seventies during a frigid, inhospitable, Chicago winter, this fictional story delivers a very realistic sense that life without a safety net can be very dangerous and cruel. Lacking the ability to recognize danger and possessing the strength to continue to rise up again and again, it is clear how easy it is become prey to a world that survives on the powerlessness and hopelessness of others. A powerful story that will haunt you well after you are finished. Really well written.

[Gina Troisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martha Engber’s Winter Light had me from the very first page, and her characters, so true to life, reached the deepest parts of me. I was right there with the novel’s fifteen year old protagonist, Mary Donahue: on the streets of Chicago during a frigid winter in the year 1978, walking through the halls at her high school, fully immersed in her life and psyche—her colorful, raw and honest world.

This is one of the best novels I have read in a long time. It asks difficult questions about the meaning of success, the idea of escaping the life one has been born into, and it works to explore imperative, urgent terrain, masterfully addressing issues of classism and divisiveness that are still, sadly, so prevalent today. Martha Engber is a gifted storyteller, in the truest sense of the word. Her vivid, dynamic prose will capture you, and her extraordinary ability to bring these characters to life will make you feel deeply for them long after you have closed the book. This was a ride I did not want to end.

[Joylene Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this novel. Winter Light is the story of Mary Donahue, a teenager from the wrong side of the tracks, who struggles to rise above her circumstances. This story tugged at my heartstrings. It's a darker coming-of-age story. Mary's dad is an alcoholic, her brother's into drugs, and most of her friends don't care about tomorrow. Mary's the kind of girl you'd pass on the street and pay no mind to her. Martha Engber made me cared about Mary. I highly recommend this novel if you're looking for an intelligent story where you can get behind the protagonist and cheer her on from page one. Reading this novel was an emotional ride, for sure. I bet we all know someone like Mary, someone who deserves better.

[Catherine Thrush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some kids learn early and often that life is not fair. It is, in fact, cruelly unjust. So do you give in, and take the road life has laid out for you that leads to disappointment, numbness, and substance abuse like the rest of your extended family? Or do you fight to forge your own road? Well, if you’re our hero, Mary Donahue, you fight. And that’s why we love this character.

Mary is intelligent, street-smart, and determined. She may not always know where she’s going, or how to get there, but she fights her way forward and pulls her big brother with her.

But when every hand that’s been held out to you has tried to take something, how do you know when to trust again?

Set in Chicago in the 70s, Winter Light is beautifully written and the story and characters feel honest. Having grown up in 1970s Wisconsin, I felt the winter Martha described keenly. This is a wonderful book and you’ll be pulled head over heels into Mary’s story. So grab a scarf and brace yourself. You’ll never look at burn-outs the same way, and that’s a good thing. Maybe this book can make life just a little more fair.

[Nicola Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good and at times heartbreaking read. I loved the idea of the book and the issues that it tackled.

The cover is a really good design. I love the drawing of the Chicago skyline on the woman's elbow. It would have caught my eye in a shop or online - which it did! It was one of the things that drew me to the book.

The book is really well written and flows easily. I liked that Martha used dates on some of the chapters to help keep the timeline straight which was very helpful.

The characters were interesting. I really liked Mary. She tried so hard to better her life. Kathleen was a good character too. I liked the interactions between her and Mary. I also liked Mary's brother Danny. I like that he tried too. He and Mary had a good relationship. I'm glad they had each other.

I think the morals I took from this was no matter what someone looks like on the outside, they never fit their stereotypes. Like Mary being a burnout or Kathleen being preppy. What matters is on the inside. Extending a hand of friendship is something we could all learn to do and kindness goes a long way.

I definitely recommend this one. I enjoyed it so much!

[Daniel Halabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not much like Mary, the central character in 'Winter Light'; and, as I began to read, assumed I wouldn’t much like her. I knew a couple Marys growing up in a midwestern suburban public high school and wanted little to do with them, but the light in 'Winter Light' provided a sharp picture of Mary and Katherine, her preppy mirror image. It got me thinking about the kids in my past, wishing I had considered them with more empathy.

Like all adolescents, Mary and Katherine are searching for the person they want to become, mostly in the dark, propelled by — and constrained by — the conditions of their childhood. Light in the 'Winter Light’ sky doesn’t change. It's cold, grey and indifferent; but the characters sure try to change, and they brought me along for the scary, affecting, ride. I was hopeful to the end, and missing them now.

[Carolyn Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

WINTER LIGHT

Not everyone makes it through a tough childhood. Martha Engber’s novel follows Mary, a teen we root for at every turn as she struggles through hers. Mary’s day to day blunders, small victories, and survival techniques are rendered with a keen and compassionate eye.
Winter Light perfectly captures the textural details of adolescent life in1978. These evocative descriptive passages give true weight, and an essential lived-in quality, to Mary’s fight to come back from a series of wrong turns and bad choices. The trajectory of Mary’s battle to overcome the odds feels at once both heartbreakingly specific to this tale and universal in its grasp of what it means to break out of the particular box you were born into. Highly recommended.

[Deanna Rozak · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author challenged me in the beginning of the book and I feared the story would be a familiar one, but the story quickly began to evolve, I was gratified to discover that the characters surprised me and the story was not the one I assumed it would be. The writing was very effective in evoking the typical adolescent angst coupled with the very difficult, adult circumstances faced by the main character, Mary. The story is well paced and carries the reader along in an unrelenting grip on its journey to the dramatic ending. Well worth the read!

[Sofe · Rating 5 out of 5]

EBook Review: WINTER LIGHT by Martha Engber

(W) here
( I ) n
(N) ature
(T) he
(E) nemy
(R) eigns

(L) et
( I ) n
(G) oodness
(H) ope's
(T) omorrow

WINTER LIGHT may shine bright, yet darkness remains.
The way may hold promise, given a chance.

Once thought safe in numbers, alone no different.
Where in life can turn, find some peace?

Awaiting an answer out there, to take root.
Will it arrive in time, recognize when comes?

Story puts it before us, holding on tight.
So glad I kept reading, so will you!

[Debra Barstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was heartbreaking in parts and hard to put down as you wanted to find out what happened. The author did a good job with this one.

[Eclectic Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Donahue is a burnout, the lowest on the hierarchy at school. She drinks, she does drugs, she parties, and she ditches school. But then the reader sees her change and she slowly becomes friends with a prep want-to-be, Kathleen McCarthy. She meets Kathleen’s family and bonds with Kathleen’s mother, Mrs. McCarthy. And just when she thinks her life is changing for the better, tragedy strikes which makes her rethink her past relationships. At this turning point, she picks herself up and faces life head on with courage and conviction, but then tragedy strikes again and all her dreams vanish.

Mary and her brother Danny have a wonderfully supportive relationship. After all, they need each other since their father is an alcoholic and their other brothers are out of the picture. Kathleen is a bit naive, but her role in bringing friendship and her family into Mary’s life is extremely important.

This book also has an intense element of surprise, so be prepared to be stunned, appalled, and angry. The book will keep you rooting for Mary to the very shocking ending.

This novel is an emotional roller coaster for me. First of all, I was the same age as Mary in 1979 and understand the concept of frigid winters, no cellphones, vinyl records, parties, and predators. I had friends that were spiraling down like Mary, and I had a mom like Mrs. McCarthy who took my friends under her wing whenever she could.

Overall, this is an extremely important and remarkably gritty novel about the harsh reality of life through the eyes of a teenage burnout. It’s about the need to better yourself after hitting your lowest point. It’s about friendship and family. It’s about fighting to survive. It’s one of my favorite reads of the year. Recommend highly!

Triggers include classism, substance abuse, rape, and depression.

Thank you to Ms. Engber for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

[Karen Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is extremely well written detailing how hard it can be growing up. It took me a while to get into but once I did, it had me gripped. It deals with daily struggles within a world on uncertainty.

The characters are well developed and Martha has a clear special connection with them.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character of this story, Mary Donahue is 15, growing up in the late 70's, a troubled girl with so many obstacles in front of her. I rooted for her all through the book. There are scenes that had me teary-eyed and heart broken.
This story is set during a bitter cold Midwest winter & Engber brings that into the book to add to the desolation & toughness of the main character's life. Mary will get under your skin, I highly recommend this book!

[Dani (piggindani_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful. Raw. Heartbreaking. My heart is still aching.
I thought this would be your typical angst-ridden YA Coming of age novel, but it’s far grittier than I expected.

As a listener, I was gripped by Mary from the beginning. A life created by circumstance and not desire, she is trapped with no hope for a bright future. However, Mary is determined to change all that and make something of herself.
She starts by reaching out and making friends with a girl that is her complete opposite. A girl with a loving and stable home life. I had so much hope for Mary & Kathleen. I enjoyed how their friendship started. Both unsure, weary & suspicious but with humour and warmth. It was great knowing Mary was finally able to experience what a loving family was.
(Mary’s brother, Danny, is her only real family that loves, supports and protects her).
But I never expected what was to happen. As I said, my heart broke and I cried.

This book deals with some very difficult subjects and may not be suitable for everyone so please check content/trigger warnings.

Thank you, Love Books Tours, for the audiobook in return for an honest review.