OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Along Came Hope" by Carri Lyons.]

Personal and true stories have always been a favorite of mine and I was eager to read Along Came Hope, a memoir by Carri Lyons. Lyons’ account of tragedy turned to hope was both heartbreaking and inspiring. I enjoyed following the Lyons’ story and found myself rooting for their success.

Author Carri Lyons and her husband Edwin were the golden couple. Active, healthy, good looking, and secure in their careers, the couple had everything they could ever want and were eager to start a family. Tragically, their son was born much too early and didn’t survive. The couple responds to their heartache by lashing out at each other and fighting. With their marriage breaking and their hopes dashed, they’re dealt with another harsh blow; Carri is diagnosed with uterine cancer and they must give up their dream of having children. This time, instead of taking out their pain on one another, the couple uses Carri’s cancer as a catalyst to strengthen their marriage and make new goals and plans for their lives. These plans include running marathons, a cross-country bicycle ride, and even exploring the long journey of international adoption.

I really liked Carri and Edwin. I felt like they were real people and I cried along with them during certain points of the story and cheered with them during others. Carri’s pain after delivering their son was palpable and raw. Edwin’s reluctance to express his feelings was frustrating to me, just as it was to his wife. I wanted this couple to succeed and wanted them to have a happy ending. I found the author’s ability to be candid very refreshing and was inspired by this story and the Lyons’ steadfastness and perseverance.

I did however, have a couple of problems with this book. First, there were some editing errors that were distracting and confusing. For example, there were wonderful photos included in the book, but sometimes the captions were right in the middle of text on a completely different page. There were also spacing errors that made the book feel not as professional as it could have been otherwise. The author also used quotation marks unnecessarily and changed tenses a few times in ways that didn’t make sense. While none of these errors should be considered fatal, they did become distracting.

I rated Along Came Hope 3 out of 4 stars. I liked the characters and the story very much and I want to know what is happening in their lives now. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs, inspiring stories, and stories of people with lots of tenacity and perseverance. I sincerely hope there is a follow-up book in the works.

******
Along Came Hope
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like Shelle's review? Post a comment saying so!

cool I like the story and the title is good people will love this specially couples not to give up good job

This review is a job well done. Along Came Hope sounds like an emotional and inspiring story. It is nice to know that they tried so hard to make their marriage work instead of giving up during difficult times. That is always the type of story that I am interested in reading.

This book has a life's lesson worth learning for everyone. The couple's story is moving, and we cannot help but sympathize with them. It is good that they were able to reconcile, and dwell on hope to guide their paths. We all need their kind of hope, don't we? Kudos for a very good review.

This sounds like an inspiring read for anyone who needs a little hope or positive energy in their lives. I also love stories that demonstrates determination and perseverance.

Great Review! ?

Great review! The book sounds very inspiring although sad.

Great review. The story sounds melancholic with a splash of hope and joy to get you to the end hoping for the pot of gold.

Sounds like a very inspiring book. Carri and Edwin seem very relatable making their story even more encouraging. Too bad though about the formatting errors. Good job on the review.

I think this is an inpiring story about us.dont loose hope.there something good happen just pray and do anything to be done and something good will happen.