Martha Engber, novel, Winter Light focuses on 15-year-old Mary Donahue of suburban Chicago, a kid on the cusp of failure during the brutal blizzard winter of 1978-79. But when the real storm hits, the full force of a harsh adult world almost buries Mary. Only then does she learn the only difference between life and death is knowing when to grasp an extended hand.
Looking for your next great book? Readers of this novel can't put it down!
Northern California-based novelist Martha Engber is receiving 5-star reviews for her latest work, Winter Light, now available in paperback and as an ebook, including Kindle.
Sharon Rimmelzwaan of Sharon Beyond Books blog wrote, “I had to tear myself away from the book to carry on in my own life, that’s how powerful this book is. I just needed to carry on with Mary, everything else was an intrusion. A book that has stayed with me since and I feel that it will stay for a while to come yet.”
This edgy story revolves around Mary Donahue, a 15-year-old Chicago girl on the brink of failure during the blizzard winter of 1978-79 as she grapples with many of the same issues at-risk youth face today: dysfunctional families, domestic violence and alcohol and drug abuse.
Like the brutal blizzard of ‘79 that buried the city under snow and ice, the cold environment mirrors Mary’s internal struggles. A motherless girl raised by an uneducated, alcoholic father within an extended family of alcoholics and addicts, she knows she’s sinking beneath the weight of bad habits. Desperate to save herself, she reaches out to an unlikely source, Kathleen, a nice, normal kid from English class.
When the real storm hits, the full force of a harsh adult world almost buries Mary. Only then does she learn the only difference between life and death is knowing when to grasp an extended hand.
Winter Light continues in the tradition of historical fiction classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye and is suitable for readers aged 15 and up.
Martha Engber is also the author of The Wind Thief, a novel, and Growing Great Characters From the Ground Up, a book for writers.
A freelance editor and workshop facilitator, Martha has had a play produced in Hollywood and fiction, poetry and essays published in dozens of literary journals.
Discover this powerful and moving journey! Click on the link (https://tinyurl.com/2h33mdd9) in the description for more information!
