Waiting for Morning by Karen Kingsbury

“I’m afraid there’s been a car accident...”

 As Hannah Ryan waits for her family to return home from a camping trip, she  realizes she has everything going for her—a husband other women admire, two  charming teenage daughters, and a loving Christian home. As the sunny afternoon  turns into twilight, her uneasiness grows along with the shadows. Then a car pulls  into Hannah’s driveway, bringing two police officers...and devastating news that  shatters her life forever.

 In the days that follow, Hannah struggles with unspeakable feelings of sorrow and  rage—feelings that fuse into one chilling purpose for living: revenge against  Brian Wesley, the drunk driver who has caused all her pain.

In her fury, Hannah shuts the Lord out of her life. She’s determined not to forgive Wesley or the God who allowed this tragedy to happen. Can two caring people help

Hannah rediscover her faith...before bitterness destroys her?

Available on Amazon

About the Author:

KAREN KINGSBURY is a USA Today and New York Times best-selling author, with nearly twenty million books in print.  Dubbed the “Queen of Christian Fiction” by Time magazine, Karen has written more than forty Life-Changing Drama, which encompasses the Redemption, Firstborn, and Sunrise series, as well as stand-alone novels such as Like Dandelion Dust, When Joy Came to Stay, and This Side of Heaven.  Karen and her husband, Don, live in the Pacific Northwest and are parents to six children, including three adopted from Haiti.

Visit her Web site at www.KarenKingsbury.com

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Thoughts:

This book has a much needed message for readers. That is one reason I am drawn to Christian fiction, the underlying message of the books. 

After Hannah's family has been killed by a drunk driver, she becomes hardened against God and refuses to forgive. Rather she chooses to devote her time to making sure the perpetrator gets punishment and her family gets justice. Meanwhile, a younger member of Hannah's family is suffering too, but feels like her pain is being ignored. While they are both hurting, they seem to be finding it hard to identify with the other one's pain.

This book addresses so many issues - drunk driving, forgiveness, justice, mercy, grace, suicide, grief, faith in tragic circumstances. As Hannah tries to find a way to cope with her grief, she joins forces with MADD (mothers against drunk driving). There she meets Carol, a Christian woman, who also lost her husband to a drunk driving accident. Matt, the prosecutor is also a Christian, with many similarities in his background too. Each of her newly found friends, have walked the path Hannah is walking, and are working with Hannah and behind the scenes and to help her cope and renew her faith.

Karen Kingsbury is an amazing author, and often writes about tough issues. 

What I liked about this book was the message. The importance of forgiveness, and a strong faith in God where He is the TRUE center of your world. Also, how forgiveness does not abolish the need for punishment - Matt the prosecutor strove for the toughest sentence on drunk drivers. The importance of recognizing all the hurting parties and the fact that each person grieves differently. Respecting their need to grieve and doing what you can to help them through the process. Hannah and other representatives of MADD use their voices and experience to make a difference. We can too, whether it is in a case like this, or just something else we have gone through or experienced. Our trials are not in vain, God has a purpose for them.