A deeply emotional read: My review of "A Thousand Sleepless Nights"

about the book...

A family torn apart by neglect and hurt…

And brought together again by a most unlikely force

In the 1970s, escaping a home where he knew nothing but violence and hate, Jim Harding found work, and love, on the largest horse ranch in Virginia. The object of his affections, Nena St. Claire, is the daughter of the owner—a man who ruled his ranch with an iron fist and would do whatever it took to keep Nena and Jim apart.

Against the wishes of her family, Nena marries Jim, and after her father dies, she sacrifices everything—including her family—to keep the ranch alive. Now their three grown children have lives of their own and want nothing to do with Nena. She was never the mother they needed.

When cancer strikes and Nena is given a devastating diagnosis, can Jim reconcile the family before it is too late?

my review....

Plumbing the depths of human emotion, A Thousand Sleepless Nights is a poignant, moving read. From the beginning, readers will be immersed into Nena and Jim's world, feeling their heartache as cancer ravages Nena's body, and mourning with the family for the mistakes that have been made, mistakes that continue to overshadow each family member. Michael King writes with a steady hand, as one familiar with the horror of cancer. As a result, his characters truly live and breathe as they adjust to a new reality, one that has rocked them to their core.

What I most appreciated about this book is how it brings to life the fact that "all things work together for good to those who love God" (Romans 8:28), that the cancer that is taking Nena's life also serves as a catalyst to bring healing to a broken family. That, indeed, is a powerful message that is desperately needed in a world of hurting people who often find it so hard to trust that God.

If you are looking for a deeply emotional book that will both entertain and leave you thinking about the nature of life and of faith, then this is the book for you. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Realms, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

about the author...

Michael King writes stories of faith and family, love and loss, heartache and triumph. He also regularly blogs about faith, relationships, and genuine living. Mike is a cancer survivor and popular conference teacher; he and his wife are in the throes of raising four daughters.

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