Just Beyond the Clouds (Cody Gunner Series #2) [Paperback]

Karen Kingsbury (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 14, 2007

#1 bestselling author Karen Kingsbury tells the heartwrenching story of Cody Gunner, a widower fighting for stability, and the woman who wants to help him trust again--even when trust is the most terrifying thing of all.

Still aching over his wife's death, Cody Gunner can't bear the thought of also letting go of his Down's Syndrome brother, Carl Joseph. Cody wants his brother home, where he will be safe and cared for, not out on his own in a world that Cody knows all too well can be heartless and insecure. So when Carl Joseph's teacher, Elle, begins championing his independence, she finds herself at odds with Cody. But even as these two battle it out, they can't deny the instinctive connection they share, and Cody faces a crisis of the heart. What if Elle is the one woman who can teach Cody that love is still possible? If Cody can let go of his lingering anger, he might just see that sometimes the brightest hope of all lies just beyond the clouds.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In characteristically heart-wringing, tear-jerking style, bestselling inspirational novelist Kingsbury finishes the story of Cody Gunner she began in A Thousand Tomorrows. Elle Dalton is director of an Independent Learning Center for Down Syndrome adults when she meets Cody, her student Carl Joseph's brother, who is intent on removing Carl from the center. Romance ensues between Elle, still brokenhearted over being jilted at the altar four years ago, and Cody, an angry bull rider who still grieves the loss of his wife to cystic fibrosis. Meanwhile, it's up to Elle-and Carl Joseph-to show Cody that Down Syndrome adults are capable of much more than most people believe. Kingsbury handles the many point-of-view changes with aplomb, although the chapter told from Carl's perspective is less successful. Some readers may wonder about the literary value of auctioning off a character spot in a novel to the highest bidder (the money goes to charity), as is done here, and there is some telling instead of showing and repetition in the prose. But the plotline is sweeter than sugar, and Kingsbury makes an admirably strong advocacy statement for Down Syndrome adults. Kingsbury's legions of inspirational fiction fans should find this exactly to their taste; new readers will also discover that it reads well as a stand-alone.
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Review

"JUST BEYOND THE CLOUDS was amazing. It captured me in the first chapter and never let me go. . . . Karen writes about the sort of love we could all use a little more of." (Richie McDonald, lead singer of Lonestar )

"Tender-hearted readers beware! Karen has done it again! After you turn the last page of JUST BEYOND THE CLOUDS and put away the tissues, you will find yourself thinking of the characters again and again. Every time you do, you will smile." (Robin Jones Gunn, bestselling author of the Sisterchicks® novels and Finding Father Christmas ) --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Center Street; 1ST edition (September 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599956772
• ISBN-13: 978-1599956770
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #597,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America's #1 inspirational novelist. There are nearly 20 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including several million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 50 novels, ten of which have hit #1 on national lists.

Karen's newest novel, Unlocked, released Oct. 12 and has stayed in Amazon's top fifty for the past few weeks. Unlocked debuted at No. 3 on the New York Times Bestsellers list. Another recent and popular title of Karen's is Shades of Blue - the story of a 28-year-old ad executive who is six weeks away from marrying the girl he loves. But as he prepares for his wedding, something brings up his past girlfriend - a girl he dated in high school. He realizes he can't go forward and say, "I do," until he goes back to Holden Beach, finds the girl he loved back then, and tell her he's sorry.

Karen's novel Like Dandelion Dust is the subject of a major motion picture currently in theaters. Like Dandelion Dust stars Academy Award winning Mira Sorvino and Barry Pepper, along with Cole Hauser and Maxwell Perry Cotton. The film has received more than 30 awards in the Film Festival Circuit including numerous Best Picture awards. Several of Karen's books are currently under theatrical development.

Karen's most recent series - the Above the Line Series, which began with Take One, in March, 2009 and wrapped up in June, 2010 with Take Four. The series is about two producers looking to change the world with the power of film. The Above the Line series also includes Karen's popular characters from the fictitious Baxter Family. The Baxters were first introduced to readers through the five-book Redemption series, and then the five-book Firstborn series, and finally the four-book Sunrise series.

Dubbed by Time Magazine as the Queen of Christian Fiction, Karen has also been a featured guest on the Today Show, Fox News, USA Today, and numerous other television programs and magazines. Her fiction has made her one of the country's favorite storytellers. Others of her emotionally gripping titles include the 9-11 Series, Even Now, Ever After, and Between Sundays.

Karen is also a public speaker, reaching more than 100,000 women annually through various national events. Karen and her husband, Don, live in the Pacific Northwest with their six children, three of whom are adopted from Haiti.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific inspirational romance, September 11, 2007

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just Beyond the Clouds (Cody Gunner Series #2) (Paperback)

Widower Cody Gunner thinks it is time to retire from bull-riding though he is still good at it; the rodeo just no longer has the appeal it once had since his beloved Ali died. Instead he would like to open up a gym for Downs Syndrome adults like his brother Carl Joseph.

Carl likes the idea of a special gym, but disagrees with his sibling on how much help he and others would need. He currently attends a special school that teaches Downs Syndrome people to live independently although Cody thinks that lofty goal is impossible. However, Carl's instructor Elle Dalton believes her student can do it and wants to persuade protective Cody to help not hinder his sibling's progress. Cody and Elle are attracted to one another, but both fears what an intimate relationship between them might do to Carl.

With homage to Rain Man, JUST BEYOND THE CLOUDS is a terrific inspirational romance as Cody and Elle fall in love, but both fears how Carl will react to his brother and mentor becoming a romantic entry. Much of the plot focuses on how people especially the lead duo interact with Carl; thus this is not a typical contemporary romance. Fans will welcome the return of Cody and Carl (see A THOUSAND TOMORROWS) as the former has become even more protective of the latter since Ali died in this well written second chance at love.

Harriet Klausner

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good story but a little disappointed, January 5, 2008

By 

book worm (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just Beyond the Clouds (Cody Gunner Series #2) (Paperback)

This is a good story though the one thing that bothered me was Cody's reason for falling in love. On p. 294 it said that "part of his attraction for Ali had been her illness and that he might protect her, shelter her. She needed him..." and then a few paragraphs later the story went that Cody "wanted to shelter Elle, the same way he sheltered Ali (because of her broken heart)."

And Cody surely loved his brother Carl Joseph... How many times was it repeated, "I just love that kid." I just feel that this story was "told" more than "shown". He surely showed his love, but it was told that he did many more times than necessary.

It also just made me wonder why Cody had to love people that were weaker or needier than him. It seemed he had the classic rescuer complex.

I like Elle as a character. She is consistent in how she would react to a possible love interest in light of her being so hurt in the past.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not as good as A Thousand Tomorrows, October 18, 2007

By 

Tamara Tilley (Hume Lake, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just Beyond the Clouds (Cody Gunner Series #2) (Paperback)

JUST BEYOND THE CLOUDS is the sequel to my favorite book A THOUSAND TOMORROWS, maybe that's why it fell a little short for me. Though I loved the characters, story, and theme of the book, what hooked my on A THOUSAND TOMORROWS was it be written in a rodeo setting. And since I am a sucker for anything western, that is why A THOUSAND TOMORROWS is one of my all-time favorites. All that said, judging JUST BEYOND THE CLOUDS by itself, without preconceived expectations, it was a very enjoyable read.

The two main characters, Cody and Elly, feel scared by love, though by different circumstances. Cody has come home from the rodeo to try and rebuild relationships with his family that have become strained. Wanting nothing more than to dote on his Down Syndrome brother, he's angered to find out he has been enrolled in a program that is preparing him for independent living. He butts heads with Elly, the director of the program, but soon finds himself drawn to her. Elly on the other hand is not looking for love after a devastating break-up of her own. But somehow, she can't seem to get her mind off of Cody.

A very rewarding love story with three-dimensional characters that you can't help but love