1. Wake the Dawn
    Lauraine Snelling
    FaithWords / 2013 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$15.99 Retail Price$21.99 Save 27% ($6.00)
    3.5 out of 5 stars for Wake the Dawn. View reviews of this product. 11 Reviews
    Availability: In Stock
    Stock No: WW969012
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  1. Heart2Heart
    Victorville, CA
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Two broken hearts find healing in a storm!
    June 19, 2014
    Heart2Heart
    Victorville, CA
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    When a hurricane unleashes its deadly force upon the small town of Pineville, Minnesota, the small medical clinic run by Physician's Assistant Esther Hansen. Without adequate medical supplies or personnel necessary to handle the number of patients arriving as the rains and winds grow in intensity and in the back of her mind she can only hope she can keep it together long enough to treat those that need medical care. Thankfully she isn't going to be battling this alone. When U.S. Border Patrol officer Ben James brings an abandoned infant into the clinic for help, his own medical training will be called upon to help the growing number of patients that are growing by the hour.

    Knowing how quickly things can get out of hand, Ben utilizes those in the clinic to help one another out until they can all be seen. He has one disable woman in a wheelchair with a broken leg, Hannah, help care for the infant who needs to be held and cared for. He utilizes a teenage boy, Gary, to clean up the three rooms so more patients can be attended to. It truly seems like everything is running smoothly despite the numbers of people that Esther can treat along with the growing number of wounded and dying that the local ambulance has to bring to her since the bridge is out. Now if she only keep calm despite the growing tremors of PTSD that seem to be lurking just on the edge of her sanity.

    Ben understands how difficult dealing with PTSD can be as he himself has been going through it as well. When he lost his wife and unborn child due to an accident late one night, the only way he's been able to sleep is finishing off a bottle of his favorite drink. The one thing he has going for him is that he has never drank on the job but unless he gets a handle on the after hours binging, he might not have a job to go back to. Lucky for him, his patrol dog, Bo, gets him up in time for work. Now if he can only find something to live for once again, he might be able to make a new start for himself.

    I received Wake The Dawn by Lauraine Snelling compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. Lately I've been blessed to have read so many of Lauraine's novels and she never fails to hook me right in the heart so I can't give up on her characters. You feel the struggle that Esther is facing trying to hide her PTSD while trying to care for the small town clinic as best as she can. Even her counseling sessions haven't been helping much and dealing with her perfectionist mother who can never see that she does anything right is enough to keep her from wanting to spend time with her family. Dealing with their issues in spite of the hurricane that is wrecking havoc on Pineville, shows the love of a small town that can come together to help one another out when the chips are really down. This comes across in every way through the supporting characters that Esther manages to help even though she can't save them all. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
  2. jsrn18
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    The struggles are real!
    October 14, 2015
    jsrn18
    Quality: 0
    Value: 0
    Meets Expectations: 0
    Another great work of art from Lauraine Snelling! Tragedy after tragedy keeps striking this small town but some how people keep pulling through. Leaning on God's strength they find a way out of the storm. We may not understand why God lets bad things happen to good people but we must learn to cope and move on. The characters in the story are faced with storm upon storm and fight through to make it out but each has an internal struggle they are facing and must work to overcome. We may not know the struggles people are facing but should always be there to support them.
  3. VicsMediaRoom
    Irvine, CA
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: male
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    A Brutal Storm, An Abandoned Baby Adventure & Roma
    October 11, 2013
    VicsMediaRoom
    Irvine, CA
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: male
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Lauraine Snelling in her new book, "Wake The Dawn" published by FaithWords brings us into the lives of Ben James and Esther Hanson.

    From the back cover: In the remote town of Pineville, Minnesota, folks associate U.S. Border Patrol agent Ben James with his days of high school football glory—not with the shell-of-himself the young widower has become. Since an accident claimed the life of his wife two years earlier, Ben has been seeking comfort in the bottle but never on duty. When Ben's canine partner Bo finds an infant lying under a bush near the Canadian border just as a hurricane force storm hits, Ben must rush the child safely to town.

    The only medical facility in Pineville is a small outpatient clinic run by Physician's Assistant Esther Hanson. As the storm rages, Esther struggles to hide symptoms of her secret emotional battle from the caring members of the community—including Ben, and the town's volunteer EMT's who work to assist her until the last critical patient is airlifted to the regional hospital. As the weather finally clears and the town begins to deal with the horrendous devastation, Esther and Ben must find the courage to wake the dawn and live in the light of day.

    A hurricane force storm, an abandoned baby, an overextended outpatient clinic and two individuals with issues that are overwhelming them! This is the recipe that Lauraine Snelling has created for us in "Wake The Dawn". The late Producer/Director Irwin Allen used to give us movies with plots like this and if he was around today I am sure he would be turning this book into one of his films. Ben James is still devastated by the death of his wife and is slowly sinking into the bottle. Esther Hansen isn't even a doctor but the demands placed on her are the equivalent and are costing her a great deal emotionally. These two must work out their past issues in order to deal with the present and embrace the future. Danger, action and adventure are all rolled up in a very exciting read. On top of all of this there is the romance. These are wonderful characters that live and breathe on the pages and you care deeply for them. This book does not disappoint at all. I enjoyed it and I am sure you will also.

    Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from FaithWords. 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."
  4. Dorothy Sanders
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    September 3, 2013
    Dorothy Sanders
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Great book! I was right there with the characters during the whole book. Writing was excellent!
  5. bookwomanjoan
    Oak Harbor, WA
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: Female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    struggle to heal the hurts of the past
    August 24, 2013
    bookwomanjoan
    Oak Harbor, WA
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: Female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    People deal with grief in different ways. In this novel, Ben lost his pregnant wife in a one car automobile accident two years ago. He turned his back on God and sought relief in the bottle. Esther had a traumatic automobile accident when a teen that she hid from her parents. Afterwards dreams and flashbacks turned into PTSD.

    As the novel opens, there is an intense storm hitting the northern border town of Pineville. Ben is a border patrol agent and in the midst of the storm his dog finds an abandoned baby. Ben takes her in to the town clinic where Esther is the PA and the only source of medical aid. The clinic is full of people hurt in the storm. Ben, with his EMT training, stays to help. They save lives but lose others. Esther saves the baby's life and Ben is committed to taking care of her. Only if Ben stays away from the bottle, Esther declares.

    Such is the action packed beginning of a story of struggle against the demons of the past. Ben sees the marks of PTSD in Esther but she will not let him help her. And Ben knows he needs to get his own life straightened out before he could help anyone else anyway. His commitment to the rescued baby may be the key.

    Supporting these two well developed major characters are a whole host of quirky townspeople. They are so indicative of rural America. When needed, they rally around to help their community make it through the storm.

    This is a good story of two flawed people who are trying to find their way to wholeness. Their faith in God plays a prominent role in their lives, Ben because he is so mad at God and Esther because she needs Him so desperately.

    I do question the action with the rescued baby. That action and how it ultimately works out just did not seem realistic to me. Other than that, a fine novel.

    I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.
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