Life After by Katie Ganshert

Posted by abakersp in Contemporary / 2 Comments

Happy Release Day Katie! I hope you will all give this book a try, it is so wonderfully written! This is my first read of Katie’s, and I can guarantee you it will not be my last 🙂

Purchase your copy here!
About the Book

Snow whirls around an elevated train platform in Chicago. A distracted woman boards the train, takes her seat, and moments later a fiery explosion rips through the frigid air, tearing the car apart in a horrific attack on the city’s transit system. One life is spared. Twenty-two are lost.

A year later, Autumn Manning can’t remember the day of the bombing and she is tormented by grief—by guilt. Twelve months of the question constantly echoing. Why? Why? Why? Searching for answers, she haunts the lives of the victims, unable to rest.

Paul Elliott lost his wife in the train bombing and wants to let the dead rest in peace, undisturbed and unable to cause more pain for his loved ones. He wants normalcy for his twelve-year-old daughter and young son, to see them move beyond the heartbreak. But when the Elliotts and Autumn are unexpectedly forced together, he fears she’ll bring more wreckage in her wake.

In Life After, Katie Ganshert’s most complex and unforgettable novel yet, the stirring prose and authentic characters pose questions of truth, goodness, and ultimate purpose in this emotionally resonant tale.

My Perspective

Wow. There are no words that can describe how I really feel about this book. There are so many layers and pieces that are intricately intertwined with each other, but done so perfectly. Tragedy, loss and grief are hard things to read about without starting to feel down yourself. But the way Ms. Ganshert tells this story does not bring you down at all. Instead it pulls you in and keeps you there experiencing what the characters experience, a chance for hope.

Guilt is something that can really eat you alive, as was made apparent in this story for a few of the characters. It was Paul’s guilt that spoke to me the most. Not only did he feel guilty about his wife dying, but he kept this huge secret to himself. It reminded me of some couples in real life – the ones that look so picture perfect on the outside, but the truth is you have no idea what goes on in their everyday lives. This was a great reminder that not everything is as it seems. The person walking around like everything is fine, could really be dying inside. Or the person that has constant attitude could be going through something that you could never understand!

Autumn and Paul showed great character growth. It was slow, as I felt it needed to be with the extent of trauma they had both endured. Every now and then the author allowed for a sweet moment that made you smile or chuckle, and this really brought some happy moments during a time of darkness. I thought it was a great tactic by the author. It showed that even people who are suffering can have glimmers of hope, and times of happiness.

Perhaps the biggest point of all was the need for us to not concentrate on asking God why, but realizing Who we can count in to get us through. Remembering that sometimes bad things happen, but a God can certainly make something good from something bad. I love that the author included this throughout the book.

I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here. Take the time to read this book for yourself. It will touch your heart and make you see things differently. This book is a keeper for sure, and I guarantee it will be one of those books that I read on an annual basis! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 About the Author

Katie GanshertKatie Ganshert was born and raised in the exciting state of Iowa, where she currently resides with her family. She likes to write things and consume large quantities of coffee and chocolate while she writes all the things. She’s won some awards. For the writing, not the consuming. Although the latter would be fun. You can learn more about Katie and these things she writes at her website www.katieganshert.com.

 

2 responses to “Life After by Katie Ganshert

  1. mollyscafinatedreads

    Fantastic review! I am definitely going to get me a copy of this one to read. It sounds intriguing! Thank you for sharing. I’m a new blog follower 🙂 http://cafinatedreads.com