Beyond the Ashes Book Review

The Golden Gate Chronicles Series

Book Two

SUMMARY:  The man flashed a disarming smile, his Bristol-blue eyes causing Ruby's breath to leak from her chest.  Fine lines around his mouth spoke of a life filled with either worry or laughter, Ruby glanced down.  She wasn't going to swoon over a man . . . 

     Young widow Ruby Marshall is certain she'll discover new purpose assisting her brother, Robert, with his cancer research.  And where better to rebuild than in 1906 San Francisco, a city rising from the ashes?  Ruby arrives in the city with great hope and determination for a new beginning.

      But she doesn't anticipate finding new love.

      Dr. Gerald Larkspur has dreamed of filling his empty home, but he'd always hoped it would be with a wife and children.  In the aftermath of the great earthquake, the rooms are overflowing with family and friends left homeless by the disaster.  As he attends to every need of his patients and friends, Gerald doubts he will ever find true love, especially when he develops symptoms of the very disease he's striving to cure.

     She's had her love and lost it.  He is still missing his heart's desire.  Is it really better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?

REVIEW:  Ruby is an interesting character.  I like how she was very compassionate towards Robert and Gerald's patients who were getting treatments for and dying from cancer.  She comes off as standoffish towards Robert's fiance' Abby at first but steps out of her comfort zone to get to know Abby better, then makes her wedding dress.  She encourages Abby to continue a friendship that Robert disapproves of and encourages Robert to get to know Abby's friends better.  Her work with the families living in the tent cities helps her overcome the grief of her husband's death and helps encourage her feelings for Gerald.

     I love how Gerald grieves when he loses a patient and will stand up and fight hospital administration to keep funding for his research.  He struggles with the idea that maybe his research using x-rays to cure cancer is for naught but feels he and Robert and on the cusp of discovery.  I like how Gerald goes into the tent cities to help the families that are sick, even risking his life when an outbreak of diphtheria occurs.

     This is a good book, a wonderful continuation of the first story.  Even though the ideas and themes are intertwined, this book lays out everything in an easy to understand format so you don't have to read the first novel.  This is a great series.  I'm looking forward to the next one.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group and Abingdon Press for review without compensation.

 

Karen Barnett is the author of Out of the Ruin and Mistaken, and she was named the 2013 Writer of Promise by Oregon Christian Writers.  Karen lives in Albany, Oregon, with her husband and their two children.  When she's not writing novels, Karen loves speaking at women's events, libraries, and book clubs.  You can learn more about her at KarenBarnettBooks.com.