Book Reviews & Giveaway: A Thousand Tomorrows & Just Beyond the Clouds

A Thousand Tomorrows & Just Beyond the Clouds Omnibus

Author: Barbara Kinsbury

OK I goofed again. I opened up this novel, read the acknowledgements, and said to myself “UH OH!” Rather dramatic woman, this Karen Kingsbury.

Which goes to show that every book reviewer can be way off the mark sometimes. Kingsbury imagines people who become real and true as I paged through her book, and she does so with a certain artistic acumen that includes God in her text and stories, but in such a way as to appear noble versus didactic or forced. Touching and real, “A Thousand Tomorrows” moves through our hearts with such a straight arrow that there was no need for Cupid.

So as I tread into the lives of Cody Gunner and Ali, I stepped into a drama similar to “The Notebook.” Sweet, and well tuned fiction, that keeps us caring for Kingsbury’s characters in a real and dramatic way.

Cody Gunner’s father leaves his family when Cody is 8 – Mike cannot handle the fact that he will never be in the NFL again and the fact that his second son has Downs Syndrome and is not perfect. As Cody watches his father drive away, abandoning him and his family, Cody experiences hate – and rage – for the first time. And it follows him into manhood.

Cody pursues bull riding in high school, because he can unleash his rage onto the bull. He meets Ali, the best barrel racer on the rodeo circuit and realizes that they are both loners. Until they become a pair. As irrepressible Ali fights to live against M.F., they become a pair. And Cody learns how to love, and how to watch Ali die with spirit, dignity and a lust for life that leaves him breathless. And that also leaves him devastated when she dies.

As Ali heals the family’s wounds and Mike comes back to reclaim his family, Cody grows up. And so do we.

Lovely fiction; I had to read the second book in the series to find out how Cody reinvents himself and I loved both books. Carl Joseph is wonderful as Cody’s brother and this family that seams itself together from the threads of loss could be any of us.

Kingsbury has found a fan in The Review Broads. And I will never judge a book by the Acknowledgement page again!

Also. just as a P.S. – Kingsbury is very involved with her fans and has a website and actually has a contest every year where one of her readers gets to stay with her family for a week! Awesome!

A Thousand Tomorrows & Just Beyond The Clouds Omnibus is available nationwide.

Ratings are based on a 5-star scale

Overall:

Review by Broad “A” – Ava

We received a copy of this title for our book review. All opinions are our own.

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