Book Review – Where Hope Is Found by Rebecca L Marsh

After what feels like an eternity, I sit down to write. 2020 has been a mixed bag for every one of us. And it is also the year when my personal laptop went kaput and I couldn’t get it fixed because – Lockdown+Corona!

Now do not come asking me “What about blogging using the WordPress App?” Sorry, but I do not use it to even check feeds, and notifications. Writing using the app was cumbersome even with the old classic editor. It would be an absolute menace for someone like me with the new block editor.

Anyway, let’s get to the book review. If you have been following this blog, then you may have encountered book reviews of Rebecca L Marsh‘s previous works. I have enjoyed her two previous books, and now there is another one. (I will leave links to the other book reviews at the end of this post.)

Where Hope Is Found is a such a moving tale. It is in the usual style of this author – slow and meandering, but captivating and moving! One feels for the characters and understands their emotions quite emphatically.

The book cover image was sent to me way back when, what feels like the time dinosaurs roamed the earth, but was actually mid 2020. This post, amongst others, has been pending for a long long time!

The book revolves around the lives of Marissa, her daughter – Maisy, her brother – Owen and his son – Charlie. While Where Hope Is Found starts off with a focus on Marissa’s happy life with her husband and children, it soon turns devastating. Watching her life disintegrate in seconds, the trauma and the scars… a complete tantrum that life has thrown at her. All that is left of her former life are memories and her daughter, Maisy. Both mother and child are traumatised by the events and the aftermath of the loss they suffered. A spouse and child; a father and a sister. The loss from Marissa’s and Maisy’s perspective may be different, but it hurts just the same.

Owen asks his sister to move to the island, he calls home. A small community, where he lives with his son, Charlie. Of course, Owen and Charlie have their own sweet & sour story as well. Often times one needs to be reminded that life is not a constantly happy ride. There are ups and downs, joy and sorrow. And Rebecca L Marsh‘s characters keep reminding us of this. Perhaps, the one facet that keeps her books grounded in reality.

Well, all is said and done, Where Hope Is Found is an immensely gratifying tale. It shows that even when one’s life seems at the worst, there is always hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel, only we need to look for it. There is nothing that life does not give if we but reach for it.

Despite the sorrowful parts, Where Hope Is Found is a book with quite joyful. The optimism, the spirit of community, the kindness, and the support that the characters showcase is heartwarming. If everyone had but a bit of empathy, compassion and kindness for all other beings, this world would be a much better place. Where Hope Is Found is a book that showcases that even a little bit of all of these, goes a long way in changing lives around us.

With a simple and poignant tale, Rebecca L Marsh manages to add another great book to her repertoire.

Go read!

In case you were wondering about Rebecca L Marsh‘s other books, click on the links below.

When The Storm Ends

The Rift Between Us

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