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If Tomorrow Never Comes
Marlo Schalesky
Christian - Fiction
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Book Review Kinna and Jimmy were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love with dreams of their future together. Kinna’s desperation for a child began to eat away at their marriage. Having a child became the most important thing in her life. Kinna will do anything, including theft, if it will help her get pregnant. Both Kinna and Jimmy consider themselves a failure. Jimmy is deeply depressed. Their marriage is in jeopardy. God is not finished with them, yet.
Kinna is a character that not everyone will understand. However, women that have had fertility issues will relate to her. Marlo Schalesky sheds light on the emotions and the psychological factors in infertily. If Tomorrow Never Comes is beautifully written. Marlo Schalesky is a talented author. Fans of Christian fiction will not want to miss If Tomorrow Never Comes. |
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Glynn Young |
5.0 / 5
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With Marlo Schalesky's "If Tomorrow Never Comes," I strayed off the reservation. I usually read contemporary, suspense, you know, guy stuff. This isn't guy stuff. The book cover is a clue -- this book is about love, lost love, feelings, hope. Not guy stuff.
But I read it anyway, and I'm glad I did. Marlo Schalesky is a fine writer who tells a good story.
Kinna and Jimmy Henley's marriage is collapsing. She desperately wants a baby, and her biological clock is about ready to expire. He's muddling through, with a boss who expects him to cut corners and a past that includes an alcoholic, abusive father. As their life together disintegrates, in come a grandmotherly type named Thea, an aging coffee shop janitor named Joe, and a dog named Tulip.
It took me a while to see what story was actually unfolding here, but that was far more me than the author -- a woman reader would have caught on much more quickly than I did. When the dog showed up, I got it, and understood where the story was going and who the characters actually were. I knew how the story was going to end -- and I settled in comfortably for the ride.
I'm glad I did. Even if it's not a guy book, it probably should be. We'd understand our wives better. And ourselves.
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mara Kim |
5.0 / 5
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Kinna's dreams have come true ~ almost. She married her childhood sweetheart and has a home near the sea. She is a nurse and loves to care for others. Caring is a natural gift for Kinna. When she spots an older woman (Thea) being caught in the sea, she rescues her. Kinna doesn't expect Thea to give her advice that she did not ask for including the mysteries of the locket. Kinna is missing the one dream that she can't live without, a baby. Kinna and Jimmy suffer through the trials of infertility. Kinna has dreamt about being a mom for so long that she will stop at nothing to get her way. Jimmy's dreams are the same. He has married the love of his life and desires to have a family. The past interferes with the future. Will the couple survive? This is a story about the powerful story of not only forgiveness but learning how to listen to God. God gives Kinna an answer that she doesn't want to hear. It's during those times, when our real faith shines through. Can we be faithful if the answer is no? Marlo's writing is poetic and she weaves a powerful story ~ seamless. This is the first book that I've read of Marlo's. I have missed out on reading her previous books. I look forward in checking them out.
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Nora St laurent |
5.0 / 5
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This was one unforgettable book filled with so many of God's truths brought to life. You can sense this story was birthed from the depths of the author's heart and pain. She too struggled with what Kinna and Jimmy Henley agonized over. One lesson learned by all, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" (Isaiah 55:8)
Marlo's characters ask the tough questions, "If God asked you to give up your dreams for Him, would you? What are you willing to give up, suffer or sacrifice to do God's will? Are you willing to follow His plan for your life and not your own?" These are just some of the great questions that Marlo brings up in this powerful, moving, and gut-wrenchingly honest story of two people chasing their dreams not thinking of what it cost in the end. These are people looking for that "happily ever after" here on earth, that God never promised us.
Which brings up another question, "Can we be happy in this life?" Answer, yes, if we CHOSE TO BE!! We always have a choice. It's a choice of OUR will every time!
"Love wasn't just a feeling. It wasn't a kiss on a doorstep or a dance under the streetlights. It was a life lived together, facing the good and the bad. It was laying down your life for another. It was sacrifice. It was taking a risk. It meant doing right even when it was hard."
Marlo has walked in the shoes of her characters. She tells it like it is and doesn't hold back sharing the pain or the joys discovered in life's journey. Marlo reveals scripture in a unique way and exposes a few lies her characters believe as well. Scripture says the truth will set you "free." The author has her main characters struggle to do the right thing against some incredible odds. You will definitely want to read this story. It's one you will find yourself thinking about and later returning to it to review treasures found. Wow! You will just have to experience it for yourself. I highly recommend it!
Finding Hope Through Fiction
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Jennifer Saake |
5.0 / 5
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My mom actually got to read this book before I did and the plot twists left her a bit unsettled at first. I, on the other hand, was enthralled from the first chapter. When I pointed out to my mom how Marlo's writing style is much like the surprising, and sometimes challenging, story telling of Angela Hunt, she started looking at the story through new eyes. In the end, we both fell in love with this artfully crafted tale, made all the more personal to me because of my own journey through infertility.
While a previous reviewer stated that the plot line of Kinna's desperation over childlessness reminded her of the immaturity of a teenager or that the story could have just as easily been about any other addiction that separates us from God, I have to argue that the emotions processed through If Tomorrow Never Comes are a very real reflection of my own struggles with God through a decade of infertility:
- Desperation? Yes.
- Spiritual immaturity? Yes, but hopefully one that refines the main character, along with the reader, toward a deeper relationship with God.
- Realistic portrayal of such shattering grief? Absolutely so, from my perspective!
This is a work of fiction, and as such, the author is free to take artistic license with her perspectives on time and space. But to anyone questioning Marlo's liberties with temporal and spatial laws, I offer this simple challenge; How big is your God? If He is big enough to create this universe, is He not big enough to work outside of the very laws of nature as well?
Be it through the message He births within the heart of an author, or in the realities of our daily lives, my God is a God of wonders who cannot be held within the confines of my limited imagination. This book led me on a wonderful journey that reminded me, once again, that we serve an amazing Lord!
Jennifer Saake
author, Hannah's Hope: Seeking God's Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage & Adoption Loss
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Tamara Leigh |
5.0 / 5
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If Tomorrow Never Comes is another beautiful, outside-the-box story from Marlo Schalesky. At turns painful and joyful, it was inspiring to see God work in the lives of two people who are so in love and yet so broken by infertility and the shadows of the past. Highly recommended!
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Angela |
4.0 / 5
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Angie's Take: I love this book. I love the author's ability to give distinct voice and cadence to each character. The personalities have flavor and quirks. I can believe they inhabit my world. Marlo Schalesky has an easy grace that echoes in our own experience so that we can see, hear and think like the Kinna and not even realize how closely we relate. Kinna is easily every person who can be tempted to solve their own deepest desire and Jimmy is everyone of us that feels unworthy. A very worthy book.
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Sally |
5.0 / 5
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If you like books with strong characters, this is one Christian fiction you cannot miss reading. Kenna and Jimmy are beautifully written. They think like I have thought. They argue like my husband and I have argued. Marriage experts say that communication is all important, and yet spouses continually guess at the other's motivations rather than ask about it. Communication may be Kenna and Jimmy's weak point. Characters like these are not found in most books.
On the other hand, if you prefer a plot-driven novel, here's your book! Schalesky writes a tapestry of a tale with clever interweaving of childhood memories. At one point, I actually said aloud, "Ahhh" as I figured out one twist. This plot moves along smoothly, with plenty of surprises. There's a locket, something about tulips, and games of "Let's Pretend" to figure out.
Thea's thoughts are written in first-person, while the other characters are written in third-person narrative. This helps separate her from the crowd. She's a confusing, crazy old lady who plays with everyone's minds, including the reader's. Because of her, the story seems a bit confusing at first, but hang on because like a roller coaster, it's about to take off!
A Reader's Guide is included. This is a perfect book club book because once finished, you will want to have someone around to discuss it.
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booklover1983 |
5.0 / 5
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If Tomorrow Never Comes is part of a series with unrelated characters called Love Stories With a Twist. The author describes them as Nicolas Sparks meets M. Night Shymalan. I read this book in one afternoon. I read the first one Beyond the Night the same way. Both were excellent! The pace is slower but perfect for the story. It unfolds as you read and I found myself holding my breath in parts. The story is well written and the story at times poignant and painful. I felt like I was in the story and cared about what happened to Kinna and Jimmy and their marriage. And the ending comes with a surprising breathless twist. I can't wait for the next love story with a twist. I highly recommend this book and the first Beyond the Night. :)
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Oregon Fiction Fan |
5.0 / 5
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IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES is a poignant love story between a woman longing for a baby and the man who once adored her as their marriage disintegrates like a sandcastle in the tide of their pain. What a riveting read. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Marlo's vivid descriptions and believable, likeable, and intricately-developed characters immediately drew me in to her story world. This book is reminiscent of a Nicholas Sparks or Karen Kingsbury novel in its powerful portrayal of real-life struggles and the discovery that only love can overcome shattered dreams and broken relationships.
I also loved Marlo's novel BEYOND THE NIGHT. If you like well-written, emotionally gripping fiction, read both of these books!
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