Review: Out of the Ruins by Karen Barnett

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis 

While her sister lies on her deathbed, Abby Fischer prays for a miracle. What Abby doesn’t expect, however, is for God’s answer to come in the form of the handsome Dr. Robert King, whose experimental treatment is risky at best.

As they work together toward a cure, Abby’s feelings for Robert become hopelessly entangled. Separated by the tragedy of the mighty San Francisco earthquake, their relationship suddenly takes a back seat to survival. With fires raging throughout the city, Abby fears for her life as she flees alone through burning streets. Where is God now? Will Robert find Abby, even as the world burns around them? Or has their love fallen with the ruins of the city?

My Review

What an intense book! It started out somewhat slow for me as it focused on Abby's anger at God and desperate deal-making with Him to cure her beloved sister from leukemia. It's an emotional time for her, and she refuses to give up or accept that nothing can be done, even when her faith-filled sister was at peace with passing on. I admired her tenacity and it brought back similar emotions I felt when my own father was close to death- hoping and praying with everything in me that God's will was to give us a miracle. The difference between us however is that Abby is willing to cut ties with God if she doesn't get her way... and thus begins her spiritual journey that we witness throughout the book. As Robert and Abby develop a friendship during the treatment of her sister, I kept feeling anticipation and anxiety about the earthquake- knowing it was going to happen, but not knowing when! It was sort of surreal and anticlimactic when it did occur, (which is pretty realistic from my own experience with smaller earthquakes) but the descriptions of the effects on the structures were fascinating. The real intensity begins with the aftermath. How much we take for granted our ability to communicate! I can't even imagine being separated from my family with no idea where they are. The adversities Abby overcomes during the search for her family humble her to listen to the influence of her sister's memory and turn to God for comfort and recognizes His hand in many great and small miracles that day.

(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)

---

Don't miss the debut book, Out of the Ruins, in Karen Barnett's new series, The Golden Gate Chronicles. Set against the backdrop of early 20th century San Francisco, Out of the Ruins will remind readers that no matter who we are or what we’ve done, God is still as close to us as our next breath.

Karen is celebrating with a fun giveaway and Facebook author chat party!

  One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• Out of the Ruins by Karen Barnett

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 19th. Winner will be announced at the Out of the Ruins Facebook author chat party on June 19th. Connect with Karen for an evening of fun book chat, games, and prizes. Karen will also be answering audience questions and giving an exclusive look at the next book in The Golden Gate Chronicles series!

So grab your copy of Out of the Ruins and join Karen on the evening of June 19th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 19th!