After the Fire by Patti Diener is a captivating story that weaves through a course of emotions from sadness and empathy to hope and thankfulness.
When Gabriel and Sarah meet, they're both carrying a heavy load of pain. He moved from Oklahoma to northern California after meeting and falling in love with Shelly. But his dreams of happy ever after were shattered three years ago when they were in a car accident and she did not survive.
Sarah's husband died in car accident a year ago and she's only now begun to learn to move forward.
When a fire sweeps through a small community and destroys thousands of lives and homes, They both get a renewed sense of purpose, driven by their desire to serve others. Gabriel and Sarah's connection is immediate, intense and undeniable. And it escalates quickly.
But while he seems like the perfect guy, she's got a secret that could destroy everything.
This is a story of destiny where two people - two strangers - are brought together after a disaster, having overcome hard times of their own, and seem perfect for each other. Gabriel is kind, hard-working and loyal. Sarah's sweet and sensitive, and I think her internal struggle is relatable. It's easy to wonder if we would lose everything we've always dreamed of if we let ourselves be completely vulnerable and have to decide if it's worth the risk.
Diener based the story on the aftermath of the Valley Fire that swept through Lake County, California is 2015. The descriptions of the wreckage, the broken families, the lost pets and the chaos surrounding this small community are heartbreaking to read.
She went one step further though and acknowledges the impact a disaster has one everyone. Not only the families who lose their houses and loved ones, but the emergency dispatchers working overtime, the police officers and firefighters were are now working countless hours to sift through wreckage, the medical professionals. Even the families of people in these positions must sacrifice. Diener creates a vivid picture of how massive and destructive these fires can be. I think these are the people who are easily forgotten when a disaster strikes but are so vital in everyone being able to move forward and I love that she has not forgotten them!
This is Diener's debut title and I am excited to see she'll do next!
When Gabriel and Sarah meet, they're both carrying a heavy load of pain. He moved from Oklahoma to northern California after meeting and falling in love with Shelly. But his dreams of happy ever after were shattered three years ago when they were in a car accident and she did not survive.
Sarah's husband died in car accident a year ago and she's only now begun to learn to move forward.
When a fire sweeps through a small community and destroys thousands of lives and homes, They both get a renewed sense of purpose, driven by their desire to serve others. Gabriel and Sarah's connection is immediate, intense and undeniable. And it escalates quickly.
But while he seems like the perfect guy, she's got a secret that could destroy everything.
This is a story of destiny where two people - two strangers - are brought together after a disaster, having overcome hard times of their own, and seem perfect for each other. Gabriel is kind, hard-working and loyal. Sarah's sweet and sensitive, and I think her internal struggle is relatable. It's easy to wonder if we would lose everything we've always dreamed of if we let ourselves be completely vulnerable and have to decide if it's worth the risk.
Diener based the story on the aftermath of the Valley Fire that swept through Lake County, California is 2015. The descriptions of the wreckage, the broken families, the lost pets and the chaos surrounding this small community are heartbreaking to read.
She went one step further though and acknowledges the impact a disaster has one everyone. Not only the families who lose their houses and loved ones, but the emergency dispatchers working overtime, the police officers and firefighters were are now working countless hours to sift through wreckage, the medical professionals. Even the families of people in these positions must sacrifice. Diener creates a vivid picture of how massive and destructive these fires can be. I think these are the people who are easily forgotten when a disaster strikes but are so vital in everyone being able to move forward and I love that she has not forgotten them!
This is Diener's debut title and I am excited to see she'll do next!
