Image Map

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Adventures in Reading: Out of Ruins by: Karen Barnett

I've got a new favorite author to share with you today!
Now, I've only read one of her books (I believe she has only written 2 so far...) but I really enjoyed it and her style of writing. 


Barnett expertly combined the historical events of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, medical practices of the time, a romance, and spiritual trials and growth to create a book that drew me in from the first page and kept me interested until the last page.

Story Summary: (Contains some spoilers!) The main character Abby's sister is losing her battle with leukemia. When the suggestion is made that a new treatment might work they make the trip to San Francisco. When the treatment is unsuccessful, and Abby's sister passes away, Abby is left asking questions that so many of us wonder..."Why do bad things happen? Why did God not answer my prayers?" During the treatment process Abby had grown to care for Dr. Robert King, but when her sister dies she blames him as well as God. As she is dealing with the grief of her sister's death the 1906 earthquake hits and everything is thrown into chaos.

My thoughts: I LOVE learning while I read. I thought Barnett did a wonderful job of creating a detailed and highly descriptive picture of what the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (and aftermath) was like. I also enjoyed learning about the medical treatments of the turn of the century. I found that I could relate to Abby in her struggle to understand why her prayers were not answered in the way she would have chosen. I did feel that there were times in the 2nd half of the book that the story line dragged a bit, but I was still motivated to keep reading to see how everything turned out in the end. This is the first in a series of books called the Golden Gate Chronicles, and I am definitely looking forward to book #2! 

OUT OF THE RUINS | Kindle HDX Giveaway & Facebook Party!
Karen Barnett Out of the Ruins

**I was provided this book free of charge by Litfuse, however the opinions in this post are all my honest opinion. 

1 comment: