Tuesday, 17 September 2013

Raw Edges - Sandra D. Bricker


© Bianca  




SANDRA D. BRICKER - RAW EDGES



240 Pages

Abingdon Press

release date: September 17 - 2013 


★★★★
4 of 5 Stars


Blurb:

Grayson McDonough has no use for teal ribbons, 5k runs, or ovarian cancer support groups now that his beautiful wife Jenna is gone. But their nine-year-old daughter Sadie seems to need the connection. When Annabelle Curtis, the beautiful cancer survivor organizing the memory quilt project for the Ovacome support group, begins to bring out the silly and fun side of his precious daughter again, Gray must set aside his own grief to support the healing of Sadie s young heart. But is there hope for Gray s heart too along the way?




Tampa, Florida.


In the Prologue we meet the McDonough family. Mom Jenna, Dad Grayson and 7-year-old Sadie. Jenna is reading a very moving bedtime story to little Sadies while Daddy secretly listens to the two females he loved most in the world. The bedtime story is part of a big book that Jenna wrote full of little important messages that she hopes will help Sadie and Gray once she is gone. 
Because Jenna is dying.
In between chapters we will find those little messages from Jenna - always accompanied by a bible verse.


One year later....

Chapter One starts with Gray and Sadie arguing over a dinner, cooked by Sadie's Nanny Miss Essie.
Sadie is sad that her Dad forgot to come home on time for their Friday-pizza-date. And she's especially sad because it's the first anniversary of her mom 'leaving'.

"Today is one year since Mommy left," she announced. "Did you even remember?"

"It's Mommy's anniversary of when she got to be with Gramma and leave behind her pain."

Sadie thinks, because it's an anniversary she should get a present. Gray doesn't think so - and is half afraid of what she would want, like a dog or a swimming pool ☺ But she only wants to go to a Ovacome Support Group Meeting. Sadie says a postcard of this support group was in the mail that day.
(we later learn that Jenna asked the group to invite her husband and daughter a year after her death.)

Gray is not sure about the support group thing, but Sadie wants it so bad, that he agrees.

That's where we meet Anabelle Curtis. An ovarian cancer survivor. And a single woman - because her fiancé couldn't live with her having cancer! She works at the local Aquarium - after quitting her well-paid job

Anabelle and the group are planning on making a memory quilt with pieces of clothing from survivors and lost loved ones. 
Sadie loves the idea of it and wants to help with cutting the clothes and she wants to donate one of her mom's dresses.


I don't want to spoil the story by saying too much.... only this:


- it's very moving
- the little girl, Sadie is really funny and cute and wise for her age - she's adorable.
- Daddy Gray is quite yummy too ;)
- Annabelle is such a kind and nice person
- Miss Essie is adorable too
- lots of booktime is used to work on the quilt, and everything connected to it.
- we're going on a few lovely 'dates' with Gray, Sadie & Annabelle
.............
♥ Happy End ♥


My opinion

The book had me crying on page 2 already! I really liked Gray and Sadie - she's such a cute and wise and funny little girl. 9 going on 29!
There are some really moving and heartbreaking moments in the book - but all in all nothing really happens.
It's just a nice little story about a father and his little girl - and finding their way again after their loss. Finding their Faith again - especially Gray - who lost all of his belief in God when his wife got sick.
And of course finding love again -> Annabelle.

It's a book that I really recommend for survivors or loved ones of Cancer patients. Maybe they will find some help, hope and inspiration.

For information about Ovarian Cancer please visit this website:
♥ Ovarian Cancer National Alliance ♥

What I didn't like - but that's not the author's fault of course - especially since this book categorized as a christian novel - what I didn't know, unfortunately, when I requested this book from netgalley. Sorry☻.

Those little messages Jenna wrote to Sadie, always contain lots of talk about God plus a bible verse. That feels a bit too much. Like she wants her daughter to grow up über-religious. She should not have done that. She should let her decide if she wants to be religious or not, and not push it on her.

The whole religion thing in the book was really too much for me, all the praying and going to church etc. I didn't realize the book was a christian thing - I just liked the blurb ☺
But I don't regret reading it at all.



So - go and buy the book! Oh, and I suggest you buy a box of tissues too!


HERE ARE THE LINKS TO THE BOOK etc.







ABOUT THE AUTHOR - from her homepage:

For more than a decade, Sandra D. Bricker lived in Los Angeles. While honing her chosen craft of screenwriting in every spare moment, she worked as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime television's hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she put Southern California in her rearview mirror and moved across the country to take on a new role: Caregiver.

"I guess most people would see my career as a publicist as a sort of dream job. But giving it up turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me!" she declares. "Not only was I given the gift of getting to know my mother as an adult woman before she passed away, but I was also afforded the blessing of being able to focus completely on my dream of a writing career."

The author says that it was her 8th novel that opened the door to finding her way as a writer. "I'm a Christian woman, first and foremost," she says. "So it was a bit of a dream-come-true when Summerside Press chose me as one of two authors to launch the Love Finds You line."


Sandie's real-life role as cancer survivor has parlayed into her steadfast commitment to raising awareness and funds for ovarian cancer research. Spearheading a series of devotionals for Summerside Press (such as the popular His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is Not), the author has stipulated that a portion of each contributor's proceeds will go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.