Past Darkness by Laurel Woiwode

Synopsis

Gabrielle Larson is a fifteen-year-old living in Chicago with reasonable plans for her life: to follow in her parents' footsteps as a Christian musician. But when tragedy strikes, Gabrielle finds herself forced to relocate to North Dakota, where she must learn to live with the difficult reality of her past in a strange and unfamiliar place.

Years pass as Gabrielle not only fights to accept the aftermath of what's happened, but also to survive on a farm full of horses, cows, Uncle Will, and Aunt Bea. Enduring nature's windstorms and the loneliness of grief, she struggles to heal, and even finds herself face-to-face with the possibility of love in the most unexpected place. But the darkness is real and her heartache is profound-will she ever emerge from the noisy past to catch the redemptive tune of the present?

Review

This is a story of hope, forgiveness, the power of music, and of God's grace. Gabrielle struggled with being cold, calloused, and of holding onto unforgiveness. Past Darkness follows her life from age fifteen to late twenties. The reason Gabrielle broke free from her past was through music. Watching her break free was so beautiful. Music can have a powerful impact on people. The horses in the book were awesome, too! ;)

Past Darkness is a story of forgiveness. It is a story of letting go of the past. It's about seeing people for who they are- not for what they look like or for what has happened to them in the past. If you enjoy a story about redemption, horses, music, and of God's love, this book is an excellent choice. :)