Take a photo of a barcode or cover
chrissymcbooknerd 's review for:
Chasing Hope
by Kathryn Cushman
I've seen a lot of Kathryn Cushman novels in various bookstores at different points in the recent future, and I'm always intrigued by the descriptions on the back covers of heavy issues told in an inspirational format that sounds entirely appealing to those of us who love a good story from the genre of Women's Fiction. So, when I had the opportunity to review CHASING HOPE through NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read more from an author who has always gotten me curious in the past.
In CHASING HOPE, we meet Sabrina, a former running prodigy who feels that her true purpose in life is to spread the word of God through a platform as an Olympic track star. Excelling at all things track and field from a young age, Sabrina finds inspiration everywhere, as God seems to be confirming her life's mission at every corner of her young life, presenting fantastic opportunities to teach others while honing her impressive athletic talents.
But, everything changes when Sabrina begins to dread that her body is turning on itself, and a devastating medical diagnosis shatters Sabrina's hopes and dreams of attaining a gold medal, propelling her to the place where she may be able to reach the greatest audience for the Message she needs to present. When Sabrina learns that she may never actually run and train again, she begins to question her ability to really hear the Voice and the Plans of God -- how had she gotten everything so wrong for such a long span of her lifetime?
Sabrina soon encounters Brandy, a strong willed, undisciplined wild child whose only saving grace may be Sabrina, once the courts decide that a regimenting training program is Brandy's last option to keep her out of the juvenile prison system. Although Brandy presents an outstanding raw talent for track and field, she has little desire to engage in any type of structured training, especially not one led by a woman who seemed to be born with a silver spoon in her pampered mouth.
At the same time, Sabrina sees little benefit in spending her time working with a sullen, lazy teenager who seems to care nothing of the future. Doesn't her family realize that this training situation will force Sabrina to recognize, daily, that her future ended on the day her diagnosis was made?
But Sabrina and Brandy may have misjudged one another a little too quickly, as each young woman seems to need the other more than they initially recognized. Is it possible that Sabrina may have misunderstood the ultimate plans for her future? Or, has she ultimately lost her greatest hope for purpose in her life?
CHASING HOPE was a compulsively readable and inspirational story that I thoroughly enjoyed, both because of the realistic characters and the sensitive subject matter that was poignantly referenced to a reader's own personal journey of faith in such a way that made it feel relatable and true through the story line. Sabrina learns throughout her initially frustrating journey with Brandy that a person's own understandings of her skills and talents may be unnecessarily limited through her own perspective of her hopes for the future -- and God's plans are not always the same as man's, although these plans may not be conceivable from our own viewpoint at first. Once Sabrina finally learns to trust, relax, and see the bigger picture, she can really see how much she, as a single person, can influence and impact another person -- who, in turn, can create her own chain of influence in the world... even in the face of disease and hardship and both Sabrina and Brandy experienced.
There were a few points at the story that I found myself getting a little tired of Sabrina's constant negativity, although I cannot deny that her outlook was probably pretty realistic for her situation. It also took me a little while to really warm up to the character of Brandy, who seemed a bit irritating in her young rebellion through her first few chapters, although I really enjoyed seeing her development and growth right up to the epilogue part of the novel.
For anyone who loves inspirational, Christian fiction, especially in the genre of Women's Fiction, I think CHASING HOPE would be an enjoyable read. Those who find religious fiction to be a bit preachy and moralistic may still relate to this story, I think, because the message can be simplified to one that could apply to readers of all faiths in the end.
I definitely appreciate the publisher for sending me a copy of CHASING HOPE for the purposes of providing an honest review, and I look forward to others like this one in the future!
In CHASING HOPE, we meet Sabrina, a former running prodigy who feels that her true purpose in life is to spread the word of God through a platform as an Olympic track star. Excelling at all things track and field from a young age, Sabrina finds inspiration everywhere, as God seems to be confirming her life's mission at every corner of her young life, presenting fantastic opportunities to teach others while honing her impressive athletic talents.
But, everything changes when Sabrina begins to dread that her body is turning on itself, and a devastating medical diagnosis shatters Sabrina's hopes and dreams of attaining a gold medal, propelling her to the place where she may be able to reach the greatest audience for the Message she needs to present. When Sabrina learns that she may never actually run and train again, she begins to question her ability to really hear the Voice and the Plans of God -- how had she gotten everything so wrong for such a long span of her lifetime?
Sabrina soon encounters Brandy, a strong willed, undisciplined wild child whose only saving grace may be Sabrina, once the courts decide that a regimenting training program is Brandy's last option to keep her out of the juvenile prison system. Although Brandy presents an outstanding raw talent for track and field, she has little desire to engage in any type of structured training, especially not one led by a woman who seemed to be born with a silver spoon in her pampered mouth.
At the same time, Sabrina sees little benefit in spending her time working with a sullen, lazy teenager who seems to care nothing of the future. Doesn't her family realize that this training situation will force Sabrina to recognize, daily, that her future ended on the day her diagnosis was made?
But Sabrina and Brandy may have misjudged one another a little too quickly, as each young woman seems to need the other more than they initially recognized. Is it possible that Sabrina may have misunderstood the ultimate plans for her future? Or, has she ultimately lost her greatest hope for purpose in her life?
CHASING HOPE was a compulsively readable and inspirational story that I thoroughly enjoyed, both because of the realistic characters and the sensitive subject matter that was poignantly referenced to a reader's own personal journey of faith in such a way that made it feel relatable and true through the story line. Sabrina learns throughout her initially frustrating journey with Brandy that a person's own understandings of her skills and talents may be unnecessarily limited through her own perspective of her hopes for the future -- and God's plans are not always the same as man's, although these plans may not be conceivable from our own viewpoint at first. Once Sabrina finally learns to trust, relax, and see the bigger picture, she can really see how much she, as a single person, can influence and impact another person -- who, in turn, can create her own chain of influence in the world... even in the face of disease and hardship and both Sabrina and Brandy experienced.
There were a few points at the story that I found myself getting a little tired of Sabrina's constant negativity, although I cannot deny that her outlook was probably pretty realistic for her situation. It also took me a little while to really warm up to the character of Brandy, who seemed a bit irritating in her young rebellion through her first few chapters, although I really enjoyed seeing her development and growth right up to the epilogue part of the novel.
For anyone who loves inspirational, Christian fiction, especially in the genre of Women's Fiction, I think CHASING HOPE would be an enjoyable read. Those who find religious fiction to be a bit preachy and moralistic may still relate to this story, I think, because the message can be simplified to one that could apply to readers of all faiths in the end.
I definitely appreciate the publisher for sending me a copy of CHASING HOPE for the purposes of providing an honest review, and I look forward to others like this one in the future!