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The Color of Rain: How Two Families Found Faith, Hope, & Love in the Midst of Tragedy
by
Michael Spehn,
Gina Spehn (Goodreads Author)
This real-life Brady Bunch story is about what it means to endure the unthinkable---and still open one's heart to what's next. When two childhood friends die of cancer six weeks apart, the shared experience of loss brings their grieving spouses together. After months of late-night phone calls, family dinners, and countless dreams and tears, this unlikely pair builds a trus...more
Hardcover, 280 pages
Published
October 4th 2011
by Zondervan
(first published September 27th 2011)
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As Cathy Spehn lay dying, one of her last conversations with her husband Michael was a directive:
“Call Gina Kell.” “She’ll help you, too.”
Michael Spehn would never know just how prophetic those words were, until a few days later when he would meet Gina Kell for the first time at the funeral home. Out of all of the visitors who came to pay their respects, Gina was the only one who really knew what Michael and his children were going through. Gina had just lost her husband to cancer a few weeks pr...more
“Call Gina Kell.” “She’ll help you, too.”
Michael Spehn would never know just how prophetic those words were, until a few days later when he would meet Gina Kell for the first time at the funeral home. Out of all of the visitors who came to pay their respects, Gina was the only one who really knew what Michael and his children were going through. Gina had just lost her husband to cancer a few weeks pr...more
I haven't given many fives recently--I'm not sure why. This book was definitely a five for me.
I finished it this morning when I should have been finishing other things, but I had to finish. This book is heavy at times, but only because the subject matter is heavy. It is about two young families who lose a young parent to cancer. The book is so inspiring, though, as are the authors, their families, and the lives they are living.
I heard Gina Kell Spehn speak recently and was even blessed with th...more
I finished it this morning when I should have been finishing other things, but I had to finish. This book is heavy at times, but only because the subject matter is heavy. It is about two young families who lose a young parent to cancer. The book is so inspiring, though, as are the authors, their families, and the lives they are living.
I heard Gina Kell Spehn speak recently and was even blessed with th...more
This is an emotional and spiritually enlightening read. I was very hesitant about reading this book because it has similar events that have happened in my life. My father passed away three years ago today (12/28/08) from cancer and I could completely relate to Gina's story as I helped my step mom take care of my dad. Also after my father died my step mom remarried someone who had lost his wife to cancer a couple of months after my dad passed. So reading this book was almost as if someone had tak...more
It was wonderful how the two families honored their late spouses. My problem with the story is more of a personal one. I feel that they became way too serious way too quickly. I had a problem with this mainly because of the children. I also did not really like the parents encouraging the children to call them mom and dad. Even before they were married, they referred to themselves and one another as the mom and dad of the family. I felt that this was disrespectful to their late spouses to put on...more
This true story of Michael and Gina who both lost a spouse to cancer, then discovered each other, put a face on cancer like I have not experienced before. The story takes you on their emotional journeys, from the depths of sorrow to the height of joy. The faith that they displayed was nothing more than inspiring. It is hard to say I 'enjoyed' this book, but I deeply appreciate it, and what it taught me. It gave me more compassion for those who suffer with this terrible disease, and their familie...more
Okay... I know that I am in the minority here but I was very disappointed in this book. It is a wonderful true story of family, love and faith. It has all the ingredients to be a great book but it fell far short. It was an extremely dry read. I had the feeling that I was reading the personal diary of a very boring person. It was very matter of fact. Husband diagnosed, met husbands former schoolmates, became friends, husband dies..... It could very easily have been just a dry powerpoint presentat...more
If I could sum up this book, I would say that it gives a wonderful example of how beauty can come from tragedy. The book is about two families, each of whom lose a spouse to cancer but then find their way to each other for comfort, healing, and love. I feel that the authors would want you to know that getting through the tragedies of losing a spouse and then continuing with their lives to find hope and love only happened because of their faith.
What I found interesting is that I got the impres...more
What I found interesting is that I got the impres...more
I really, really love this book. It is the true story of two families who loved, lost and found love another time.
It is such a touching, emotional book, but with such hope and peace in it that you will be amazed.
It really would be a great help to someone who is going through losing a loved one and feeling all alone. This book The Color of Rain is really a precious story.
Gina and her husband have two little boys and then Gina’s husband gets cancer and passes away after several years of fighting...more
It is such a touching, emotional book, but with such hope and peace in it that you will be amazed.
It really would be a great help to someone who is going through losing a loved one and feeling all alone. This book The Color of Rain is really a precious story.
Gina and her husband have two little boys and then Gina’s husband gets cancer and passes away after several years of fighting...more
In spite of the tragic circumstances of this true story (co-authored by two people who lost their young spouses to cancer), I found this to be a very uplifting and faith-filled book. There were quite a few tear-jerker moments, especially as I read about Michael’s experience of losing his wife fairly rapidly to a glioblastoma – the same kind of brain tumor that my husband died from. Parts of it were eerily similar to my own experience, including the date that he found out that his wife wasn’t goi...more
My mom read this book, and since I'm on vacation at her place, I decided to read it too because she gave it such great reviews. The book was very well written, but the subject matter was a little too depressing for me. Although it ultimately has a happy ending (the title of the book gives this away), I have to admit I had to skip through a few chapters to actually get to that happy ending because the subject matter was weighing so heavily on me. Still deserves four stars.
This was a difficult book to read at times .... the authors bare their emotions regarding the experience of losing their spouses to cancer. It was moving though, in many ways, and of course reminds you of the fleeting nature of life. What I appreciate most about this book as a woman of faith, is that it clearly demonstrates how faith - hope - and love brought them through greif (and through triumphantly) to a place of joy and peace :)
Be sure to have your tissues at hand when reading this book, there are some sad parts but over all this was a very good book that tells of these two families and how their faith in God got them through their tragedies. While some of their beliefs are not the same as mine, I liked reading about their strong faith. It's refreshing to read something where the authors are not afraid to write about God being a part of their lives.
This is a story of how two families impacted by the death of a father and a mother cope with this tragedy. How the surviving spouses meet and enjoy each other's company is a real blessing. This true story tells of the impact the children of each family cope and succeed in this situation. We will discuss this at our Sept. book club meeting. This book gives hope to a hopeless situation.
I'm a Michigan native, so the setting of this novel alone grabbed me. The story line was equally capturing. This is the true story of 2 couples, torn apart from their spouses by two separate tragedies, who ultimately find one another and find love again. It's wonderfully written from the perspective of both surviving spouses. Not only is it a wonderful story (though tear-jerking...make sure your tissues are nearby!), it's a wonderful lesson in how to help someone through grief. It gave me some p...more
A friend told me that this was the best book they had ever read so I decided to check it out. It was a great book although I would recommend having a box of tissues handy. After I finished this book, I told my friend how good I thought it was. She chuckled when she told me that I had the wrong book. The title is very close to the book that she had suggested! Oh well! All's well in the reading world!
What a great book. Well written and insightful. I've lived this story, not through death of a companion, but through divorce. This book reminds us there are wonderful, God-loving people everywhere. I loved the spiritual warmth of this beautiful message of healing.
Amazing book about how two families came together through tragedy. I loved how both Michael and Gina were candid in their telling of their struggles, triumphs, and faith. All in all I think it was a great book. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys faith books.
this is about 2 families, (non-fiction) each lost a spouse to cancer with in a short time of each other. They had mutual friends and circumstances brought them together. The book is about this story, their faith in God, hope and love in the midst of tragedy
Very moving, lots of tears. I wanted to know more details, even though they shared so much about the development of their relationship. The best part was the story of Michael's relationship with God. We all have something to learn from this.
Read this true story from my hometown in preparation for an interview with the author. It is a sad but uplifting story ... I loved the author's description of the double rainbow as the analogy of her 'new day.' I highly recommend.
One of the most heart wrenching stories I've ever read. A prologue that is 3 paragraphs, but grabs you instantly. I wrote a review for my legal blog. The story is moving, but read it with a box of tissue. Trust me, you'll take pleasure in the most mundane aspects of life. The authors found each other and married only after each loosing a spouse, at a young age to cancer. Their story is moving, beautifully written, and worth turning the pages as tears well in your eyes.
The first half of the book is very very sad. The second half is a testament to God's grace in the lives of the author and his wife, Gina. A wonderful true story. I read this on Easter weekend, so the mood of the weekend matched the mood of the book.
What a wonderful story of tragedy into springtime. I would suggest a box of kleenix beside you throught your reading of this true story of Gina's husband Matts last 3 years of his life as he died from cancer and Michaels wife Cathys extremely quick death of brain cancer. They tell it in detail by first Gina's story and then Mike's story and then how they found each other and how their
got them through it all. There were times I had to wipe my eyes so I could read the next line.
The fact that it...more
got them through it all. There were times I had to wipe my eyes so I could read the next line.
The fact that it...more
I found this story to involve so many emotions...I was crying at page 34 and smiling throughout the entire book. What these families endured was incredible and they all came out on the other side happy.
What a GREAT book. It is sad and happy all at the same time. It is a great reminder to get as much out of life while you can because you never know what God has planned for us in the future.
Interesting story. I particularly appreciated their openness regarding how they felt about marrying again after loosing spouses.
Recommended to me by a friend.
Recommended to me by a friend.
Heartbreaking and inspiring. What these people had to endure is unthinkable, yet they managed to not only survive, but come out with stronger faith. I liked it a lot.
Awesome book if you want to read something that is truly inspiring.Read the book in 2 days...could not put it down.
Be sure to have your tissue around!
Be sure to have your tissue around!
I have never read a book that broke my heart in a million pieces then put it back together again better than it was before. A beautiful story
Oh my! This book was amazingly heartwrenching and I cried through the first half. This story is mine & so many others. It's a postive feedback on my Faith journey!
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Thank you for reading and reviewing our book. I have never replied to a reader comments, but felt compelled to do so here. What began as a...more
Feb 12, 2012 02:07pm