It could have been me.
Snow whirls around an elevated train platform in Chicago. A
distracted woman boards the train, takes her seat, and moments later a fiery
explosion rips through the frigid air, tearing the car apart in a horrific
attack on the city’s transit system. One life is spared. Twenty-two are lost.
A year later, Autumn Manning can’t remember the day of the
bombing and she is tormented by grief—by guilt. Twelve months of the question
constantly echoing. Why? Why? Why? Searching for answers, she haunts the lives
of the victims, unable to rest.
Paul Elliott lost his wife in the train bombing and wants to
let the dead rest in peace, undisturbed and unable to cause more pain for his
loved ones. He wants normalcy for his twelve year-old daughter and young son,
to see them move beyond the heartbreak. But when the Elliotts and Autumn are
unexpectedly forced together, he fears she’ll bring more wreckage in her
wake.
In Life After, Katie Ganshert’s most complex and
unforgettable novel yet, the stirring prose and authentic characters pose
questions of truth, goodness, and ultimate purpose in this emotionally resonant
tale.
My Thoughts:
There are certain events in our lives that mark us. Some huge and some small, but we can definitely
see the before and the after of such events or circumstances. In author Katie Ganshert’s novel, Life After, we see that change for the
lone survivor of a horrific attack on Chicago city’s transit. Autumn Manning is the only survivor and the
other twenty-two passengers’ deaths haunt her. Dealing with a bit of memory
loss, the whys for the reason she survived when everyone else perished, and immersed
deep in survivor’s guilt she slowly tries to regain her life and a purpose for
it when the daughter of one of the victims reaches out to her.
I was thoroughly invested in this novel as Autumn must see
that she is still among the living and not with those who died. The author really showed how one might have
felt and what they may be going through after such a terrible event and as
Autumn learns to live again, she realizes that she is not the only
survivor. The victims’ families also
must learn to survive without their loved ones.
It was very interesting to watch how these strangers’ lives intersect
due to this one horrific act and how for one particular family who has lived under
an umbrella of shame and lies, the truth will set them free.
Poignant and exquisite storytelling, this is my favorite by
author Ganshert.
I received a copy of this novel for free from the
publisher. I was not required to post a positive
review and the views and opinions expressed are my own.
About the Author:
Award-winning author, Katie Ganshert, graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years before staying home to write full-time. She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she lives with her family.
When she’s not busy penning novels or spending time with her people, she enjoys drinking coffee with friends, reading great literature, and eating copious amounts of dark chocolate. You can learn more about Katie and her books by visiting her website or author Facebook page.
No comments:
Post a Comment