BOOK OF THE WEEK: WAITING FOR MORNING by KAREN KINGSBURY

Waiting for Morning is the story of an angry, bereaved woman named Hannah Ryan, whose husband, Dr. Tom Ryan and first daughter, Alicia Ryan, were killed in a ghastly motor accident when a drunk driver rammed his truck into their vehicle. Driven by anger, Hannah turns to Attorney Matthew Bronzan to defend her in the case against the drunk driver, Brian Wesley.

Matthew Bronzan is all too happy to take the case as he envisages the possibility that a win could change California drunk driving laws forever. He however has to battle it out in court with Harold Finch, the defense attorney for Brian Wesley, who is notoriously referred to as “the drunk driver’s best friend.”

What follows afterward is a fascinating court case and an outcome that both parties could not have predicted, and between a painful betrayal and her second daughter’s brush with death, Hannah learns the true definition of prison and encounters afresh the only One who has the power to set a person free.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

I like it. I’m not particularly a fan of Karen Kingsbury because of the endless series she creates [I’m terrible with series be they books or movies], however, I must confess that this is one book I like.

The book is engrossing almost from start to finish and I found the court case riveting. One thing I love about the book as well is the fact that it’s not just entertaining but also educative. The effects of drunk driving became more real to me and I found myself empathizing with the victims in the book. And of course Karen spiced it up by adding a hint of romance to the book thus making the book more appealing to lovers of romance.

It is my belief that one characteristic of a good fiction novel, apart from entertaining readers, is the ability to leave readers thinking long after they have finished the book and Karen Kingsbury does that brilliantly with this book.  I heartily recommend the book to parents and teachers of teenagers; it makes for a good teaching tool about drunk driving and its effects and consequences.