Wake the Dawn

by Lauraine Snelling

National bestselling author Lauraine Snelling brings a small mountain town to thrilling life when a natural disaster threatens to destroy lives.

U.S. Border Patrol agent Ben James' life is in tatters. A tragic accident stole the love of his life and he never finished grieving. Turning to the bottle for support, he lost sight of what was important. While making his last patrol run before a storm rolls in, Ben's canine partner Bo finds an abandoned baby hidden in the woods. As Ben rushes the child to the only clinic in the area, the storm strikes with unexpected fury.

Esther Hanson runs a second-rate clinic in the small community of Pineville, Minnesota, on the Canadian border. Though she has fought for years to get the equipment she needs, the town refuses to approve the funding. When the unprecedented storm ravishes the area, cutting them off from all outside help, Esther struggles to help her patients without giving in to overwhelming emotions. The event triggers a long-suppressed memory, and Esther must come face to face with the reality of her past and learn to forgive herself.

Brought together by the life of a child, Ben and Esther become each other's reason to change.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery, Adult Fiction

367 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Award-winning and bestselling author Lauraine Snelling has over 80 books published with sales of over 4.5 million. Her original dream was to write horse books for children. Today, she writes adult novels about real issues centered on forgiveness, loss, domestic violence and cancer in her inspirational contemporary women’s fiction titles and historical series, including the favorite, Blessing books about Ingeborg Bjorklund and family.

Lauraine enjoys helping others reach their writing dreams by teaching at writer’s conferences across the county. She and her husband Wayne have two grown sons, and a daughter in Heaven. They live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a Basset named Sir Winston ob de Mountains, Lapcat, and “The Girls” (three golden hens).

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the plot and characters in this book. Unfortunately, that was not enough to make this a good book. The writing is simply awful. The editing is even worse. The medical terminology and technique was so wrong it was laughable at times. At one point the author refers back to an "intubation" of a baby that was originally described as just a complicated IV start. The setting of the novel takes similar hits. One minute all is calm, the next trees are falling and houses are being blown over. One minute a character is being soaked in the wind and rain, the next she is managing to avoid electrocution because her shoes are miraculously still dry. No one is prepared for the big storm, but somehow everyone has an endless supply of backup diesel fuel. Cell phones work, then they don't, then they do. The town is supposedly destroyed, but weeks later everyone is watching football like nothing happened. I could go on. On some pages, the thoughts were so disconnected from one line to the next that I had no idea what was going on.

This book had the bones to be a sweet, uplifting novel. Unfortunately it appears no effort was put into the necessary research and edits to polish it off.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I absolutely could not finish this book. I was under the assumption (because of the book synopsis) that this was going to be about a baby that the border patrol officer found. Yeah, there is a little bit of that in the book, but it's mostly about a small town medical clinic and how it is run and all of the shortcomings it has during a significant storm. Ugh. Being in the medical field myself, I don't want to read about it in my spare time. Who really brings a body back to a medical clinic, complete with all of the tools, to perform an autopsy, especially when they don't have enough rooms as it is? Really? A medical practioner would NEVER leave a drug cabinet unlocked, at least not where I work. That is definitely grounds for losing your license. A border patrol officer who has been trained with what sounds like an EMT training would not decide to give a physician's assistant an 'injectible sleep medication', because she is 'catatonic' in the middle of a rain soaked road. Crap. Just crap.

[Trinity Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I FINISHED THIS WONDERFUL BOOK BACK IN JUNE, BUT COULDN'T REVIEW IT UNTIL IT CAME OUT THIS WEEK!!!!

Any book by Lauraine Snelling is fantastic and a pleasure to read, but this one Wake the Dawn is just intriguing to read and review.
The characters are so real and full of life and they become so very special to you. I just hate when I finish reading a good book.
Ben James is having so many problems and can’t seem to get interested in life again after the love of his life is ripped away from him, but then a natural disaster rushes in and what can he do but keep on going.
Esther Hanson also has some things to work out in her life and she keeps trying to hide her troubles and keep working, but will that keep the troubles back?
Ben and Esther are thrown together to try to get through this storm. Read this intriguing book and find out what happens.
I really, really loved the storm and am so very glad to have read it. Lauraine Snelling is one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend this book and anything she writes.



I received my free copy from Sarah Reck at Faith Words/HachetteBookGroup, for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

[Staci · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first book to read by Lauraine Snelling. I was drawn into the book immediately. Very fast paced story at the beginning with lots of action occurring over a small amount of time. Towards the middle the pace began to slow and the author focused on character development.

[Christine Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

"As far as she could tell, she'd only been gone five minutes or so. Had her watch stopped or something?"

The medical scene is very raw in this story, but the evident voice is calling out with a real ballad of sensitivity.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben James, a border patrol agent, finds an abandoned baby or his canine partner does, and the both fall in love with the new born.
Esther Hanen a PA in a second rate clinic in rural Minnesota, who has been trying for years to get the town to build a bigger and better equipped clinic that can handle the town's needs.
Ben and Ether are thrown together when a HUGE STORM hits their area and they are cut off from help. They have to save the lives of many people hurt in the storm using the meager supplies and a lot of prayer.
One good thing comes out of the storm a man offers 1 million dollars toward building a small hospital if they can get it started in 90 days. And Ben and Esther start working together to make his promise a reality.

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a hurricane unleashes its deadly force upon the small town of Pineville, Minnesota, the small medical clinic run by Physician's Assistant Esther Hansen. Without adequate medical supplies or personnel necessary to handle the number of patients arriving as the rains and winds grow in intensity and in the back of her mind she can only hope she can keep it together long enough to treat those that need medical care. Thankfully she isn't going to be battling this alone. When U.S. Border Patrol officer Ben James brings an abandoned infant into the clinic for help, his own medical training will be called upon to help the growing number of patients that are growing by the hour.

Knowing how quickly things can get out of hand, Ben utilizes those in the clinic to help one another out until they can all be seen. He has one disable woman in a wheelchair with a broken leg, Hannah, help care for the infant who needs to be held and cared for. He utilizes a teenage boy, Gary, to clean up the three rooms so more patients can be attended to. It truly seems like everything is running smoothly despite the numbers of people that Esther can treat along with the growing number of wounded and dying that the local ambulance has to bring to her since the bridge is out. Now if she only keep calm despite the growing tremors of PTSD that seem to be lurking just on the edge of her sanity.

Ben understands how difficult dealing with PTSD can be as he himself has been going through it as well. When he lost his wife and unborn child due to an accident late one night, the only way he's been able to sleep is finishing off a bottle of his favorite drink. The one thing he has going for him is that he has never drank on the job but unless he gets a handle on the after hours binging, he might not have a job to go back to. Lucky for him, his patrol dog, Bo, gets him up in time for work. Now if he can only find something to live for once again, he might be able to make a new start for himself.

I received Wake The Dawn by Lauraine Snelling compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. Lately I've been blessed to have read so many of Lauraine's novels and she never fails to hook me right in the heart so I can't give up on her characters. You feel the struggle that Esther is facing trying to hide her PTSD while trying to care for the small town clinic as best as she can. Even her counseling sessions haven't been helping much and dealing with her perfectionist mother who can never see that she does anything right is enough to keep her from wanting to spend time with her family. Dealing with their issues in spite of the hurricane that is wrecking havoc on Pineville, shows the love of a small town that can come together to help one another out when the chips are really down. This comes across in every way through the supporting characters that Esther manages to help even though she can't save them all. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've greatly enjoyed Lauraine Snelling's historical works, so I thought I'd like to see how she handles contemporary.

Sadly, I was not impressed. I never got into the characters, Esther and Ben. Esther, plagued with PTSD, at least was more believable than Ben deciding in two seconds that he was going to give up alcoholism with absolutely no ill-effects other than thinking "man I could use a drink" maybe three whole times after his decision. For being such an important part of Ben's new life, baby Dawn was barely mentioned except when one or the other of the main characters needed to worry about her and then forget about her, prolonging social services plot (which went nowhere).

After the big storms tear apart the town, one of the elders of the town threatens to sue unless they build a new hospital or something, and everyone proclaims that "it's impossible" to begin groundbreaking in ninety days. I was already completely bored by this storyline, but I felt even more cheated when it's never mentioned again after the characters give Esther her pseudo-intervention and she decides she's in love with Ben.... until the epilogue and it's two years later. We never find out how they managed to get everything squared away for a project that huge in a small town. I didn't even care anymore but it was still irritating.

I guess I'll stick with this author's historicals.

[Donia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I get frustrated with stories such as Wake The Dawn. It began with a wonderful story which leads the reader to believe that the book will be about a baby that is found abandoned in the wilds and a sad man who will find himself a new life through the saving her life. Sadly we spend the first 1/3 of the book inside a clinic during a contrived blizzard with the most contrived, absurd array of patients (from the demented lady who arrives only in her underpants to the heart attack patient, then one with femoral artery tears, to a woman in labor...give me a break). This soap opera just goes on and on. I was so disappointed. Snelling is usually better than this

[Judi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read better Lauraine Snelling books. The story was fine, but often implausible. Ben falls in love with the baby he found, but spends very little time with her. She is mostly cared for by his friends, Beth and Ansel, who seem to have no problem at all taking care of two newborns and a toddler. Unrealistic. That's just one example . I agree with another reviewer who said that the editing is awful. It is. I'm not a person who "skims" a book; I read every word, and there are many mistakes in the editing of this book - this detracts from it.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

Halfway through chapter four, I had to quit. Who knew a rush on an under-supported small town clinic during a freak storm could be so boring. Reading this is like trying to have a conversation with someone with severe ADD.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually love Lauraine Snelling's book but this book was hard to remain interested in.

[Victor Gentile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauraine Snelling in her new book, “Wake The Dawn” published by FaithWords brings us into the lives of Ben James and Esther Hanson.

From the back cover: In the remote town of Pineville, Minnesota, folks associate U.S. Border Patrol agent Ben James with his days of high school football glory–not with the shell-of-himself the young widower has become. Since an accident claimed the life of his wife two years earlier, Ben has been seeking comfort in the bottle but never on duty. When Ben’s canine partner Bo finds an infant lying under a bush near the Canadian border just as a hurricane force storm hits, Ben must rush the child safely to town.

The only medical facility in Pineville is a small outpatient clinic run by Physician’s Assistant Esther Hanson. As the storm rages, Esther struggles to hide symptoms of her secret emotional battle from the caring members of the community–including Ben, and the town’s volunteer EMT’s who work to assist her until the last critical patient is airlifted to the regional hospital. As the weather finally clears and the town begins to deal with the horrendous devastation, Esther and Ben must find the courage to wake the dawn and live in the light of day.

A hurricane force storm, an abandoned baby, an overextended outpatient clinic and two individuals with issues that are overwhelming them! This is the recipe that Lauraine Snelling has created for us in “Wake The Dawn”. The late Producer/Director Irwin Allen used to give us movies with plots like this and if he was around today I am sure he would be turning this book into one of his films. Ben James is still devastated by the death of his wife and is slowly sinking into the bottle. Esther Hansen isn’t even a doctor but the demands placed on her are the equivalent and are costing her a great deal emotionally. These two must work out their past issues in order to deal with the present and embrace the future. Danger, action and adventure are all rolled up in a very exciting read. On top of all of this there is the romance. These are wonderful characters that live and breathe on the pages and you care deeply for them. This book does not disappoint at all. I enjoyed it and I am sure you will also.

You can find "Wake The Dawn" at a discount at http://www.deepershopping.com/item/sn...

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from FaithWords. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The small town of Pineville, Minnesota finds itself caught in one of the largest storms ever to hit. Border Patrolmen, Ben James, looking for Snakeheads (those helping illegals cross the border via Canada) comes across a newborn just as the sky begins to open. The only clinic in town, hosts a physicians assistant, Esther Hansen, who finds that her fears of being ill equipped are realized. With homes crashing down, trees uprooted, drug addicts with hostages - these chapters read fast and with amazing medical, action, and heart.
The main characters are wounded in their own way, one a widower - losing his wife and unborn child, who turned to alcohol to numb the days, only to find purpose in a child left behind, left to die.. the other battling PTSD, hanging on by a thread, afraid that she just isn't good enough, but that is where she is wrong.
As a reader, you will dive right into the pages, enjoy the main characters, but also fall for the town - those secondary characters bring so much life to the book and a deeper dimension. There is also little "lessons" to think about throughout the novel, and the readers guide is great for book group discussions.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauraine Snelling is a great writer, her books always have a great storyline and the perfect ending though you can't guess what's going to happen. I enjoyed this book so much, the main character, Esther, is a physician's assistant working on her own in a clinic when a hurricane hits and much damage is done to the community with lots of injuries. Esther has a great nurse and a couple of EMT's along with Ben James, a US Border Patrol agent.

Ben lost his wife in a car accident and turned to the bottle to cope. The day before the massive storm he finds a newborn baby girl in the desert...all alone. His heart immediately melts and after getting her checked out at the clinic he makes a deal with Esther allowing him to take her home.

Esther has serious problems of her own and a meltdown while treating patients during the storm. Ben recognizes the symptoms, he's been where she is. What follows is a wonderful story of loss, heartache, healing, and finally love.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Torie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, my first by Lauraine Snelling.

A tragic storm hits a small town with only a PA, Ester, running the local clinic which is short on supplies. Enter border patrol officer, Ben James, who gets assigned to the clinic. Together they work through the storm to help those in need. Once the storm is cleared they need to decide what to do about the clinic and their personal dilemmas including a baby that was found, someone suing the city for not having available hospital supplies and PTSD.

This was a very well written story that brought 2 people in need together. It was a Christian book but it didn't hit you over the head with beliefs. Just that you should be thankful to God and if you cast your worries onto him and receive the help you need and you can overcome. The only issue I had with this book was that many scenes seemed to stop just before you saw how the controversy was handled.

[Cathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a giveaway from Goodreads. This book grabbed me from the beginning. Ben and Esther are two broken individuals living in the small town of Pineville Minnesota. Ben. a border patrolman, has never been able to cope with his wife's accidental death. Esther, a physician's assistant and the town's only means of medical care, is haunted by her past. When a massive storm hits the town, they are thrown together to help the people of Pineville survive the storm. Lauraine Snelling's engaging, realistic characters kept me reading and emotionally invested until the end. The only part I found to be a bit less than realistic was the timeline--the events of the story were condensed into only a few short months. This book is well worth the read.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel starts off with intense action as a storm hits the northern border town of Pineville. Esther is a PA in the town's clinic and the only source of medical help. Ben is border patrol, finds an abandoned baby and when he takes her to the clinic, ends up staying and helping Esther. Ben and Esther both have hurts that need healing and we see their attempts at doing so as the novel progresses.
I loved all the characters in the book, typical townspeople in rural America. They do come together in time of disaster.
The Christian faith of Ben and Esther are important because Ben is mad at God for the death of his wife and Esther needs God desperately to survive day to day.
See my full review at http://bit.ly/18cYwU3.

[Myrna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Lauraine Snelling and I really enjoyed it. This story was very realistic since it centered around a destructive rainstorm in a remote country area. We meet US Border Patrol Agent Ben James who has lived in the area for most of his life. We also meet Esther Hanson who runs the only medical clinic in the area. Both of them are fighting their own demons as they rally to help their many neighbors who have been affected by the storm. The characters represent the good of the folks who live in small towns. The writing style is easy and the character development is very good. I had trouble putting this book down and I recommend it.

[Kimmie Blevins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one of my favorites done by Snelling. I finished the book in 2 days!! I like that it took place in modern times because after awhile it gets old reading about pioneer's and the other tragic love stories. I feel that more people can relate to this book because it talks about getting through PTSD and alcoholism. This book got my attention just by reading the short prelude and it gets pretty intense right off the bat. I think that this would make a really good movie, but it would probably be rated PG-13, due to the serious injuries and other incidents that I won't mention because I don't want to spoil anything. Happy Reading!! :)

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! What an amazing story of non-perfect people being brought together to make a huge impact in a community. The story looked not only at the effort they put into helping and saving others through the clinic, but it worked through the individual issues that Esther and Ben had as well. Their relationships with God were not where they should be, and Lauraine so graciously shows them that as they explore a depth with God they hadn't know in a long time. This book is a perfect example of how God can use us in our weakness and He can be glorified!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great work of art from Lauraine Snelling! Tragedy after tragedy keeps striking this small town but some how people keep pulling through. Leaning on God's strength they find a way out of the storm. We may not understand why God lets bad things happen to good people but we must learn to cope and move on. The characters in the story are faced with storm upon storm and fight through to make it out but each has an internal struggle they are facing and must work to overcome. We may not know the struggles people are facing but should always be there to support them.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dealing with grief, two bad storms one behind another, PTSD and a baby left near border keep you reading forward. Esther is a Physician Assistant. Ben is a Border Patrol Agent. When two bad storms hit Pineville, Ben is put helping Esther as he has EMT training. The clinic I so small there is not enough supplies. Both Ben and Esther deal with grief in different ways. The disaster finally makes the community see why they need a hospital. This book is an adventure through problems, disaster, a baby, loss of home, etc. God brings good out of it all.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Lauraine Snelling book and I really liked it. I was hooked right away and at times couldn't put it down. The story was so well written that I could picture the small town as the storm hit and loved the characters more with every chapter I read. The storm and it's aftermath were inspiring and the lessons learned made me think long after I finished the book. Looking forward to reading more of this author.
*****FIRST READS WINNER

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things I enjoy about Christian novels is their heartwarming, happily ever after endings! This book is no exception. A Small town in northern Minnesota is hit by a devastating storm and only a physician's assistant is available to help with the injured. She is dealing with her own problems but with assistance from members of the community, she is able to heal others as well as herself.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't know why but for some reason I couldn't get into this book at this time. It might be that I've been reading a lot of books on my e-reader and this one was a book book. Will try it again later once my library gets it for e-readers. I love all of Ms. Snelling's books so it might have been just the formate. My library is slow about getting new release for the e-readers so I will wait.

[Kathy Roling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book. Physician's assistant is suffering from PTSD; she runs a clinic in a very small town near the Canadian border. There are two vicious storms causing road closures and flooding. The clinic runs out of medicine and supplies, one of the border patrol men find a baby left to die in the woods. This story held my interest throughout.

[Cardyn Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wake the Dawn is a compulsively readable blend of natural disaster story, grief counseling, redemption, and smalltown drama. It's sappy and overwrought with a little preachiness thrown in like a compelling movie on the Hallmark channel. L.S. has a knack for creating admirable imperfect characters and a strong sense of community.

[Barbi Huhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book. I honestly think that I enjoyed it even more because I lived in North Dakota which is mentioned several times in this book. The characters were all very well developed. I liked how the author alluded to Esther's PTSD for a while but left you guessing as to what it was before it was finally revealed.