A Thousand Sleepless Nights
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5
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a touching novel of forgiveness and restoration
In this well written novel, we are taken into the lives of Nena and Jim. Nena inherited a horse farm in northern Virginia and she has spent her life trying to keep it from going bankrupt. It has been an all consuming job â even to the neglect of her children.
Now, as an older adult, the children gone far away, Nena discovers she has cancer. The cancer is serious. As she and Jim face the future, Jim's thoughts go back to their meeting and how he came to marry her.
Nena asks Jim to have their children come to see her before it is too late. It is not an easy task as there are antagonistic feelings toward their mother, the mother who abandoned their care for a more important farm.
King has managed to write a touching and thought provoking novel. It is a novel of memory, of forgiveness, and of restoration. King has cleverly paralleled the children's lives to that of their mother. Each of them must deal with issues they are facing.
I was amazed at how a novel about a woman dying of cancer could be so uplifting, so positive. It gives the reader a real sense of God working through all circumstances, even the death of a parent.
This is a novel of hope, even in the midst of a hopeless situation.
This is a novel of love, even when there has been hurt and separation.
It is a novel of God's forgiveness, despite Nena's reluctance to admit she needs it.
It is a novel of God's grace and restoration, even when the recipients are hesitant to participate.
Carve out a few hours of time because you will not want to put this novel down. And make sure you have some tissues near by. Enjoy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.
December 19, 2012
A Touching Story Of Family and Reconcilaition
Michael King in his new book âÂÂA Thousand Sleepless Nightsâ published by Realms brings us into the life of Jim Harding.
From the back cover: A family torn apart by neglect and hurtâ¦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 ownerâÂÂa 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 everythingâÂÂincluding her familyâÂÂto 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?
When individuals die what is the remorse felt by the loved ones left behind? Generally it is âÂÂI regret that I never patched up that problem that we hadâ or âÂÂwe could have been closer if only I had forgiven instead of keeping them at a distanceâÂÂ. When the individual is no longer here we long for one more chance to reconcile and say the things we never did but then, of course, it is too late. In âÂÂA Thousand Sleepless Nightsâ Michael King gives us a story where a family gets the chance to reconcile before there is a death. And there is a need for huge amounts of reconciliation in this family. We can all identify with at least one member of the Harding clan and that is what makes this book so touching and personal. Underneath this great story there are the themes of restoration, emotional healing and family. I liked âÂÂA Thousand Sleepless Nightsâ and am looking forward to more stories from Michael King.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from Realms for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade CommissionâÂÂs 16 CFR, Part 255: âÂÂGuides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.âÂÂ
November 24, 2012
A deeply emotional read
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.
November 6, 2012
A story of cancer, broken families, and God's love
âÂÂA Thousand Sleepless Nightsâ is a powerful story of one familyâÂÂs battle with cancer and for wholeness.
Nena and Jim are the main characters of 'A Thousand Sleepless Nights.' Nena's cancer and past neglect of her family shadows or influences everything else in the story. Jim is her husband. His devotion to Nena and the three children (now grown) is apparent throughout the book. His story is split between the present and the past looking back at what led up to his meeting Nena and a short time after meeting her, some thirty years earlier. As the story progresses it becomes apparent that something happened in the past that Jim needs to deal with before it is too late. Roberta is the youngest of their children. She felt her momâÂÂs neglect the most and in her search for love has made some costly choices. Ken the middle child is trying to fill his emptiness with success, basically showing the same tendencies of his mom, only on his own path. The oldest, Barbara, is the one least broken by NenaâÂÂs passion to save the ranch at any cost, but she too is battling health issues.
As NenaâÂÂs cancer progresses and her health deteriorates, she begins to see the damage she has done to her entire family. Her determination once focused on saving the ranch finds a new focus. She must come to terms with what she has done as well as dealing with her cancer and possible death. As death's threat grows larger Nena becomes even more determined.
As a cancer survivor himself, Michael knows firsthand the heartaches and pains of cancer. He takes that knowledge and uses it to make a very realistic story.
Michael uses his writing talents to draw the reader into Nena and JimâÂÂs world, right along with Roberta, Ken, and Barbara. A world of pain, suffering, and yet hope.
IâÂÂd recommend âÂÂA Thousand Sleepless Nightsâ to everyone. It is realistic, especially about cancer. It touches on humanityâÂÂs greatest need (peace with God).
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author Michael King as a member of The Darlington Society. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
October 19, 2012
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