Light from Distant Stars
Ratings2
Average rating5
When Cohen Marah steps over his father's body in the basement embalming room of the family's funeral home, he has no idea that he is stepping into a labyrinth of memory. As the last one to see his father, Cohen is the primary suspect. Over the next week, Cohen's childhood memories come back in living color. The dramatic events that led to his father being asked to leave his pastoral position. The game of baseball that somehow kept them together. And the two children in the forest who became his friends--and enlisted him in a dark and dangerous undertaking. As the lines blur between what was real and what was imaginary, Cohen is faced with the question he's been avoiding: Did he kill his father? In Light from Distant Stars, master story weaver Shawn Smucker relays a tale both eerie and enchanting, one that will have you questioning reality and reaching out for what is true, good, and genuine.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
Wow! Where to start? These characters and this story is one that I will come back to over and over. It's the kind of story that will pop back into my head when I'm washing dishes or commuting to work or other random times. I can see pieces of myself in Cohen and Kaye. I want to be a friend like Ava.
The prose is beautiful. The characters are realistic. The story is compelling. And the relationships are the heart of the book.
If you don't read much, take the time to read this one. If you like a plot that takes you along, you will like this one. If you like memorable characters, read this one. If you like relationship stories, you want to read this one. This has something for everyone.
I received an ARC from the publisher and this is my honest review.
Cohen Marah finds his father Calvin, nearly dead, in the embalming room of the family's funeral home. Is Cohen responsible? If so, in what way? As he waits in the hospital for his father to die, Cohen must deal with a rush of emotions and memories brought to the surface by this traumatic experience.
Shawn Smucker takes us back to Cohen's childhood to explore a son's relationship with his father, first as a child, then as a man who sees his father's flaws. Life has happened, often in unpleasant ways, and as Calvin lingers on the threshold between life and death, Cohen feels terribly distant from him. The story of Cohen's past comes forth in memories and emotions, interwoven with his present.
This was not a quick read, nor was it always an easy read. But once I was drawn into it, it was hard to put down. Cohen struggles with questions of faith, of feeling like God is distant from him or even gone, while he tries to resolve his complicated feelings for his father. While I'm not a son working through a complex relationship with my father, I have had my own difficult times of wondering why God doesn't seem to be present anymore. That's heavy stuff.
“Maybe that's the problem with fathers and sons - they lose each other.”
The tale told here is one of struggle, loss, and ultimately redemption. Light will find its way to us through the darkness, and so it is with Cohen.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions expressed here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't like.
