About the Book:
Marnie didn’t know much about miracles.
Mistakes maybe. Accidents. And monstrous mess-ups. She knew a lot about those.
But miracles? Those were for other people.
Marnie Wittier has life just where she wants it. Quiet. Peaceful. No drama. A long way away from her past. In the privacy of her home, she fills a box with slips of paper, scribbled with her regrets, sins, and sorrows. But that’s nobody else’s business. Her bookstore/coffee shop patrons, her employees, her friends from church—they all think she’s the very model of compassion and kindness.
Then Marnie’s past creeps into her present when her estranged sister dies and makes Marnie guardian of her fifteen-year-old son—a boy Marnie never knew existed. And when Emmit arrives, she discovers he has Down syndrome—and that she’s woefully unprepared to care for him. What’s worse, she has to deal with Taylor Cole, her sister’s attorney, a man Marnie once loved—and abandoned.
As Emmit (and Taylor) work their way into her heart, Marnie begins to heal. But when pieces of her dismal past surface again, she must at last face the scripts of paper in her box, all the regrets and sorrows. Can she do it? Or will she run again?
About the Author:
MARLO SCHALESKY is the author of several acclaimed novels, including Christy Award winner Beyond the Night. A graduate of Stanford University, Marlo also has a masters of theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. She’s a regular columnist for Power for Living and lives with her husband, Bryan, and five children in California.
My Review:
Where do I begin my review of Shades of Morning? It was an excellent story. Marlo Schalesky is talented beyond words. When I sat down to read this story, something in this book pulled me in before I even read the first line. I have read numerous wonderful books in the past, but none have had that effect on me before.
In Shades of Morning, Marlo creates tender characters. She introduces us to Marnie, Emmit, and Taylor. These three amazing characters give so much meaning & depth to the story and feel so real to me. I especially loved Emmit. He was such a tender-hearted, special young man and was the center of this story, a story full of both happiness and heartache. A story of finding yourself, putting trust in God and second chances.
I really didn’t want this book to end. I fell in love with the characters, the touch of humor Marlo uses, and the meaning behind the story. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Worthy of 5 stars, you’ll fall in love with Emmit, Taylor and Marnie, too! Please read this story, as it has something for everyone in it!
*This book was provided for review by Waterbrook Multnomah*
