Charlotte's life is turned upside down when her daughter is
killed in an accident, and she becomes the guardian of her
three grandchildren. Her daughter, Denise, has been
estranged from her parents for many many years. She ran away
when she was 18 and pregnant. Now Charlotte is on her way to
San Diego from Nebraska to pick up the children. Children
she barely knows. Now their lives are thrown together, and
they have to learn how to live together and how to be a
family. The children have to adjust to a new state, the loss
of their mother, the loss of friends and new rules.
Charlotte has to learn to rely on God as she struggles to
fall back into the role of a parent. Is she too old to do
this? Has she made the right decision in bringing the
children to the family farm? You are going to have to read
BEFORE THE DAWN to find out.
While Charlotte helps the grandchildren she barely knows
adjust to their new life, she also wrestles with her own
grief and insecurity. What if she makes the same mistakes
this time around? Charlotte and Bob are dealing with the
death of their daughter, and now becoming parents to three
children. Sam (16), Emily (14), and Christopher (9), arrive
at their grandparents' Nebraska farm - a huge change from
their life in California. Still reeling from the sudden and
unexpected death of their mom, the kids struggle through
grief, settling into life on a farm, and getting to know
their grandparents.
Despite the fact that this story is full of pain and sorrow,
BEFORE THE DAWN by Kathleen Bauer is the kind of story that
you can easily fall into, your heart immediately breaking
for all the characters. Everything they feel is raw and
real. BEFORE THE DAWN is an unforgettable story that teaches
us that through faith, anything is possible and often times
we need to look outside of our family to gain insight that
will enable us to move forward. The story is heartwarming
and tender; just the kind of book you can curl up with on
the couch and read the day away. I knew things would
eventually turn out fine, but it is all about the journey.
This is the first novel in the Home to Heather Creek
series, and I can't wait to read the next book, Sweet
September by Tricia Goyer.
It's the dawn of a new season in Charlotte Stevenson's
life. Charlotte Stevenson's world is turned upside-down by
the death of her daughter, Denise, whose three children are
now coming to Nebraska to live on Heather Creek Farm. Sam
is fiercely protective of his younger siblings; Emily
desperately misses her friends; and young Christopher, a
sweet soul, just wants to fit in. While Charlotte helps the
grandchildren she barely knows adjust to their new life,
she also wrestles with her own grief. What if she makes the
same mistakes she made with Denise? Is this her chance to
make things right? The miracle of new life, along with
God's healing touch, reminds all of them that it's always
darkest just before the dawn. About the Home to Heather
Creek series: Before the Dawn is the first book in the Home
to Heather Creek series. Charlotte Stevenson is raising her
grandchildren on the family farm after a tragic accident
changes all of their lives forever. With the help of her
husband Bob and a close-knit circle of friends, she will do
whatever it takes to keep this fragile family together. See
how God, who makes the sun rise and the crops grow, watches
over our lives too.