Will Rise From Ashes

WOMEN'S FICTION:  AJ anxiously awaits news of her brother and youngest son’s flight home from Yellowstone, but the information she receives is the last she ever expected to hear. Yellowstone volcano is erupting, wiping complete states off the map in the process, and AJ cannot get in touch with her brother. Deciding she isn’t able to simply sit around and wait, she packs herself and her autistic son, along with an arsenal of supplies, in the car to start the long journey from Maine to Colorado. Misfortune is their constant companion, until Reid joins their foray—causing her to question her reluctance to move forward. This adventure brings many things to AJ’s attention, forcing her to do things drastically out of her comfort zone which makes her heal and let go of the past and face current events. 

A fascinating read which lingers in the mind and heart, begging to be reread as soon as it’s finished. The concept and writing style are in a world of their own, although it does take about half the book for the reader to be fully immersed in the story and give it the adoration it deserves. The characters are not only personable and incredibly realistic, they also display stunning growth throughout; the level of healing the protagonist reaches by the end is truly awe-inspiring, making the title of the book really pop out. Unobtrusively, the story weaves together quirks of autism, an overwhelmed mom, and the ghastly aftermath of a large-scale crisis into a beautiful tapestry of hope, vision, and strength. The set-backs cause upset, the wins give joy, but nothing causes more sorrow than finishing the story!

Yannie Sorensen