Customer Reviews

Waiting for Daybreak

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I started _Waiting_for_Daybreak_, I just knew that Cushman would have me crying in public. Again. And I was right. I'd read her _Promise_to_Remember_, so I knew how well she can create rounded, likable characters. I also knew that, since I was reading on vacation, I was likely to get so drawn into the story that I would risk crying in public rather than put the book down to wait for a private moment. I LOVE Cushman's unique setting (a pharmacy in Tenn., fun to learn about) and her ability to create conflict on several levels for several characters. I steer clear of trite Christiany dialogue and inner monologue. I found Paige, and Ora (LOVE ORA) and others to be genuine, flawed and faithful. I won't say much about the antagonist wench, except that while I didn't necessarily like her, I was sympathetic to her. There was one masterful scene in particular where Cushman had me grudgingly misting up over injustice towards Clarissa. Nice pull. I highly recommend WfD. (and btw, loved the title, and how it ties into the story).

This was my first time reading a book by this author and I was not disappointed by it at all. The author really knows how to explore the deepest feelings of her characters. It was a wonderful story, well written and researched. I absolutely loved the spiritual aspect of the book and it really ministered to me. I wept in parts and took away something from the book that is going to help me in my own spiritual walk right now. Don't hesitate to buy this book.

Waiting For Daybreal is the fascinating story of two women and the conflict between them.

Paige Woodward's mother has cancer and needs expensive treatments. Paige's job at Nashville Free Clinic doesn't pay much, but she has a strong sense of compassion for the people she meets there. However, she needs to find a job that will bring in more income so she can help her parents. A man doing some work at the clinic hires her as an employee for his granddaughter. Paige accepts the job only to find that no one told her new boss about her.

Clarissa Richards wanted to open a pharmacy in Nashville in the exact building where her grandmother used to work. Instead, her grandfather bought a theater in Shoal Creek, and put a pharmacy there. Clarissa hates being stuck out here in the sticks, but no one seems to care what she wants. Then her grandfather hires Paige Woodward and doesn't even tell her about it, and for Clarissa, that is going too far.

Waiting for Daybreak is a compelling story about two women locked in a desperate battle neither one can win. Kathryn Cushman has a knack for digging into her characters and bringing them to life on the page. A great story, I'm proud to recommend.

Paige Woodward is a hardworking, small town girl. Clarissa Richardson is a spoiled and unhappy young woman. Both are pharmacists just starting out in the business. Both have different dreams and definitions of success. Neither is mature enough to know how to go after their goal. One woman, Ora Vaerge, makes a powerful impact on each of their lives.

As it often happens in fiction--and in real life--one person's witness can make a difference. Ora's love of scripture and unique perception of life changes Paige and Clarissa forever. My favorite part of this book is near the end when Ora explains the meaning of the phrase "waiting for daybreak."

Kathryn Cushman's beautiful story goes beyond the usual rich girl-poor girl comparison and reminds us that it takes courage to succeed, no matter what our status in life. We must make our stand in the darkness and wait for daybreak to come.

This novel by Kathryn Cushman is about two women who get in each others' way.

Paige is desperate and though she's trying to bolster her faith, she nevertheless makes some questionable choices to get what she needs. Along the way she learns a big lesson about what it means to really trust God, without trying to help Him do His job.

Clarissa is desperate in a different way. She will do whatever it takes to see her long-time dream come true. Trying to please a difficult family increases the pressure she is under, making for a tense situation that can't possibly end well...

Both women are pharmacists as is the author; giving a realistic and interesting view into behind the scenes at your local pharmacy. You may not want to know...

Go on a journey of failure, faith, and self-discovery with paige and Clarissa in this well-written and thought provoking book.

This is the first I read by this author and was not disappointed. Continued to read another one of her books and look forward to reading all before all said and done. If you enjoy Christian Fiction you will enjoy this one.

Cushman once again creates such real characters with whom the reader can identify with one or the other...or aspects of both. Patience is hard - we want things in our own time, we question God's plan, we ask "why," in reading this book, I realized that I too have been "waiting for daybreak" and know that when the time is right, the sun will rise! The subtle tones of faith and prayer captivate the reader into wanting to see God's work in these characters.

WAITING FOR DAYBREAK is the captivating story of a young woman learning to stay faithful and trust God, even when He appears to have abandoned her. The novel's two main characters, Paige Woodward and Clarissa Richardson, are trying to succeed as pharmacists, but possess very different perspectives on what that means. As both face trials in their lives, one turns to God while the other turns to whatever it takes.

Paige is a devout Christ follower who does everything by the book and loves helping people. She hopes no one at her new job finds out she was fingered as the person responsible in a prescription mix-up that resulted in a man's death. Her main concern, however, is making enough money to cover her mother's costly, experimental cancer treatment. As she begins work at the new pharmacy and feels instant tension with her boss, Clarissa, she prays for a friend to lean on as her world is falling apart. Her prayer is answered in the form of Ora Vaerge, an outspoken elderly woman who is not exactly what Paige had in mind.

Unlike Paige, Clarissa grew up with everything money could buy, but lacked a faith-based upbringing or stable family life. Her alcoholic father is currently on wife number four. Clarissa's rich grandfather insists she prove herself by successfully running a small-town pharmacy. If she can turn a good profit in one year, her reward will be a pharmacy in an upper-class Nashville neighborhood --- a long-time dream of hers that has become an obsession. She will do anything to make that dream come true, even if it means destroying Paige in the process.

When Paige and Clarissa's worlds collide, it looks as though Paige will lose everything she has worked so hard to achieve, as well as the financial means to help support her mother. They are brought together by Clarissa's grandfather, a wealthy entrepreneur who observed Paige working at a free clinic. He believed that Paige's work ethic and excellent people skills would prove an asset at the Richardson Apothecary in rural Shoal Creek, managed by his granddaughter, Clarissa. But Clarissa immediately resents this intruder who has already managed to impress her grandfather, and soon does the same with her favorite uncle and a certain construction worker she wanted for herself. When Paige confronts her about breaking some of the laws that govern pharmacies, she has no idea this "last straw" will lead Clarissa down a path of revenge.

The story moves along at a comfortable pace, with enough action to hold the reader's attention. Many interesting aspects of the pharmacy business are brought to light by Kathryn Cushman, herself a former pharmacist. Three-dimensional characters complement an intriguing plot, all nicely packaged with good imagery and a well-wrapped conclusion.

--- Reviewed by Susan Miura

Kathryn Cushman's second novel brings a group of fascinating characters together to explore jealousy, betrayal, broken promises, loss, and ultimately, hope. As with her first novel, she creates characters who struggle with real issues honestly and realistically. Their internal conflicts feel just as real as their struggles with one another. And the ending will pull at your heart. It leaves the reader looking forward to her next novel.

Kathryn Cushman set herself a paradigm with A Promise to Remember and hasn't disappointed with Waiting for Daybreak. Deep, complex characters are fast becoming Cushman's trademark. Paige and Clarissa drew emotional responses from me like few books do. Even the secondary characters are fascinating. Combine those with a riveting storyline and you have a novel you'll not put down until you turn the last page. Novel Reviews and I give it our highest recommendation: a 5-star read!