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Five Days in May

Ninie Hammon (Goodreads Author)

4.36 · Rating details · 948 ratings · 171 reviews

"DON'T NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF DOIN' THE RIGHT THING."

A twister's coming. A big one, a monster F5--a mile wide and eight miles tall.

The writhing finger of death hurls across the prairie toward Graham, Oklahoma, one Friday afternoon in May, 1963, on a collision course with the lives of 4 people—each of whom has already planned a personal rendezvous with death in s "DON'T NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF DOIN' THE RIGHT THING."

A twister's coming. A big one, a monster F5--a mile wide and eight miles tall.

The writhing finger of death hurls across the prairie toward Graham, Oklahoma, one Friday afternoon in May, 1963, on a collision course with the lives of 4 people—each of whom has already planned a personal rendezvous with death in some other form that day.

In Jonas Cunningham’s mind, what he’s planning isn’t murder. The handful of little white pills that will free his precious Maggie from the fog of Alzheimer's is a gift, a final act of unconditional love.

Jonas’s 16-year-old granddaughter, Joy, isn’t planning “murder” either. She's pregnant and sees only one way to keep from shaming her family. Secrets like that are hard to keep though, in a small town.

Joy's father, Rev. Mac MacIntosh has lost his wife and his faith and on Friday, he plans to commit professional suicide—not just leave his church, but abandon his call to ministry.

Princess has an appointment with the Reaper on Friday, too, one she’s been staring down for 14 years. At 5 o’clock, the state of Oklahoma will strap her into an electric chair called Sizzlin’ Suzie and turn on the juice.

But as the strange, psychic death row inmate meets daily with the minister during the final 5 days of her life, everything in both their lives begins to change. Princess knows—about Mac’s life and family. And sees—the Big Ugly coming to eat up the world. She sees other terrible things, too, and is determined to carry to her grave an incredible secret about the little sister she confessed to beheading a decade ago.

When the savage tornado roars with a sound like gravel in a blender into their small prairie town on that May Friday, all 4 of the people who'd penciled in "death" on their calendars actually do confront eternity.

But none of them comes to the crossroads of life and death by the path they'd planned or leaves with the result they expected.

In the end, the Big Ugly decides who lives and who dies that day. ...more

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Kindle Edition, 324 pages

Published June 10th 2014 by Ninie Hammon (first published January 1st 2011)

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· 948 ratings · 171 reviews

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Nov 17, 2016 Bren rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Historical Fiction fans, fans of deeply moving books about life and the choices that we make.

Recommended to Bren by: Book club read.

Shelves: friendship, great-for-book-clubs, drama-tearjerker, social-issues, dark-and-heavy, read-and-reviewed, suspense, southern-literature, recommended-by, historical

“Don’t never underestimate the power of doin’ the right thing, Reverend. Sometimes, it’s the only gift life gives you.”
― Ninie Hammon, Five Days in May

Of all the books I have read for my book club, I think this was one of the best. The book is historical fiction and centers on a small rural town in Oklahoma. There is a tornado hurtling toward the town.

The focus of the book..for most of it..is not the tornado although the reader is made aware of it..it's some of the people who inhabit the town. ...more

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May 27, 2018 Linda rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle

3.5 stars!

I liked this one! I wanted to love it, but it was missing that certain "something" for me.

The story places place over the course of 5 days in May, in a small town in Oklahoma. The story revolves around Princess, an inmate on death row, Mac, the local minister, Jonas, Mac's father-in-law, and Joy, Mac's daughter. All of these characters are troubled by something and feel very alone in their struggle.

I think there were 2 things that impacted my reading experience. The first could not be ...more

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Aug 17, 2014 Iola rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014, mystery-thriller, 2014-new-author

Five Days in May starts with the end: the “Big Ugly”, a massive tornado that strikes the town of Graham, Oklahoma, in May 1963. It then goes back five days to show in detail the lives of the townspeople—and it’s typical of tornados that there is no warning. The reader knows what’s coming, but the characters are tied up in their everyday lives.

There are four main characters: Princess (Emily Prentice), who is due to be executed in five days for murdering her baby sister; Mac, the widowed preacher Five Days in May starts with the end: the “Big Ugly”, a massive tornado that strikes the town of Graham, Oklahoma, in May 1963. It then goes back five days to show in detail the lives of the townspeople—and it’s typical of tornados that there is no warning. The reader knows what’s coming, but the characters are tied up in their everyday lives.

There are four main characters: Princess (Emily Prentice), who is due to be executed in five days for murdering her baby sister; Mac, the widowed preacher who’s lost his faith in God; Jonas, Mac’s father-in-law, who is caring for a wife with “old-timers” disease; and Joy, Mac’s teenage daughter, who has her own set of problems. There are also some fascinating yet disturbing minor characters, including Wanda and Jackson.

The characters are excellent, especially Princess, who has a distinct and engaging voice, and who “sees” things in a way that’s a cross between the movies Green Mile and Being John Malkovich. Joy is a typical teenager, so tied up in her own problems that she can’t see the wood for the trees. Mac is the typical father of a teenage daughter, in that he can’t relate to her and can barely hold a conversation with her (I could relate—Mac’s relationship with Joy had a lot of similarities to the relationship between my husband and my daughter).

The plot was complex, a tangled web of relationships. While I did guess one of the major plot points before it was revealed, that only added to the tension. Was I right? What would the characters think and say when they found out? I was right, but the reaction of one character in particular surprised me. Another behaved exactly true to character … but justice was served in the end, albeit not in the tidy way I perhaps expected.

There are ‘rules’ of writing which say authors should limit the number of viewpoint characters, and shouldn’t use omniscient point of view. Hammon ‘broke’ both rules in Five Days in May, yet in such a way that it didn’t detract from the story at all. Rather, it added considerably to the tension (especially given how unhinged some of these characters were …)

While Five Days in May isn’t specifically Christian fiction, there are strong Christian themes of love and sacrifice underpinning a story that is, quite simply, brilliant in both concept and execution. Recommended.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review. ...more

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Jun 02, 2015 Loraine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle, suspense, modern-christian-fiction, paranormal

SUMMARY: "DON'T NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF DOIN' THE RIGHT THING."
A twister's coming. A big one, a monster F5--a mile wide and eight miles tall. The writhing finger of death hurls across the prairie toward Graham, Oklahoma, one Friday afternoon in May, 1963, on a collision course with the lives of 4 people—each of whom has already planned a personal rendezvous with death in some other form that day.

In Jonas Cunningham’s mind, what he’s planning isn’t murder. The handful of little white pil ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Aug 29, 2014 sharlon strickland rated it it was amazing

One of the Best Books I've Ever Read

One of the Best Books I've Ever Read

This book had me by the first chapter. The author's writing style was exceptionally good. Her characters were realistic and true. She was able to create a remarkable tension and mystery. I couldn't put the book down. I read it in one day. ...more

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Sep 13, 2014 Kristin L. Pressley rated it really liked it

Moving

This book is beautifully written with a language all its own. I loved the raw insight into each character's personal struggle with emotional demons and unfolding of their connections to each other. There are some painfully valuable lessons learned about assumptions, sacrifice, perseverance, and unconditional love in this story. Definitely a great read!
...more

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May 05, 2015 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-literature, christian-fiction, historical-fiction, supense-thriller-fiction, christian-inspirational-fiction, christian-action-adventure, mystery-fiction

I don't think I've ever had such a profound feeling after reading a novel like I have after finishing Five Days in May by Ninie Hammon. You want to remember that name because her books will have you remembering them long after you have finished and to me, that is a sign of a talented and memorable author. WOW! Was my initial thought after reading this novel. How can I possibly sum this up in a review without giving away too much but convey to people looking for an exceptional book to please pick I don't think I've ever had such a profound feeling after reading a novel like I have after finishing Five Days in May by Ninie Hammon. You want to remember that name because her books will have you remembering them long after you have finished and to me, that is a sign of a talented and memorable author. WOW! Was my initial thought after reading this novel. How can I possibly sum this up in a review without giving away too much but convey to people looking for an exceptional book to please pick this one up.

The only way to partially describe this book is among notable movies like The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption. If you've watched either of them, it's not that the actors themselves are what makes the movie but the story being illustrated on the big screen. Five Days in May is precisely that while it remains in book format and I truly hope and pray that some worthwhile production company picks this up and really sees something it in and breathes life into it on the big screen. It's message is too small for television.

It's a story about sacrifice and how far you're willing to go to see that sacrifice through. It's a story about how the lives of Emily Prentiss, Reverend David "Mac" McIntosh, Jonas his father, and Joy his daughter would intersect in a way that would leave them all changed forever by their circumstances and what drew them together.

All four people have a date with destiny and what occurs on that warm Friday in May in 1963 can only be described as miraculous. Mac has been struggling as the town of Graham's pastor since the loss of his wife Melanie. While he watched cancer strip away the very life of the woman he loved, all his prayer to God seemed to go unanswered and he can no longer stand in front of a body of believers and talk to them about a God he no longer believes in. His 16-year-old daughter Joy is struggling to come to terms with no only her mother's death but has now discovered she is pregnant. Not something a preacher's kid ever wants to deal with in highschool and believes the only answer to her problem is to find a way to get rid of the baby growing inside her. But her father is certainly the last person she wants to talk to.

Jonas has watched Alzheimer's take away Maggie, the woman he agree to love and care for until death parted them. Most days she isn't the same woman he married and she doesn't even know who he is. She rambles on about events that aren't even a part of their life, and worse, she screams bitter profanities at him, while she struggles with a disease that has claimed her mind. Jonas knows there is only one way to fulfill his marriage vow and he will do what it takes so she doesn't have to suffer in her private nightmares any longer. Emily Prentiss or Princess awaits her coming execution in just 5 short days and all she knows is she must convince the pastor who is coming to meet with her, that she isn't crazy and she knows more than most people do about others through her visions. Will she be able to convince him that something wicked is coming to the town of Graham before it's too late for them all?

I received Five Days in May by Ninie Hammon compliments of the author herself. I actually came across her through Facebook posts about her incredible books. I knew that based on people comparing her with Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, Tosca Lee and in my opinion Stephen King, I knew I had to read her novel. You always want to believe that the book will hold up to all the compliments but this one does that and so much more, I simply can't articulate it well enough. To say that it's well-written seems so shallow, because it takes you by the hand and never lets go until the end. You don't just read this novel, you become part of it. There is no religious elements in this story but to convey that there is an underlying theme of what it means to lay down one's life for another, the very same belief Christian share about the sacrifice of Jesus. That is what you will find in your own way in this novel I hope. For me, a home run with 5 out of 5 stars and I will be adding this author to my "MUST HAVE" list, because if this is a taste of what she brings to her books, I want them all! ...more

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Jun 29, 2014 Liz Barnsley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I loved this it has to be said. I can’t REALLY put my finger on why exactly, it was just a feeling, a total immersion into this tale of people living a small town life, all with very different characters and viewpoints, in a period of their lives where death is approaching – in the form of a Twister perhaps, but also in other ways. Some lovely writing and great depth of character make this a very evocative and often emotional read.

I particularly found the complex and intelligent interweaving of ...more

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May 17, 2011 Jan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-bought

A woman on Death Row for killing her sister. She somehow has ties to a Preacher who is mad at God for taking his wife who died from breast cancer. The prisoner also has ties to his daughter in some way too including being able to see through her eyes like a mystic at times. Its a murder mystery thriller that weaves a captivating story together with a tornado that comes when she's in the electric chair about to die. ...more

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Apr 29, 2018 Mary Hamilton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: women-s-fiction

Set in 1963 in southeastern Oklahoma, this book tells the story of wounded souls who find healing through a selfless inmate on death row. The characters include a pastor who lost his faith when his wife died, his daughter who finds herself pregnant at 16 with no one she can confide in, and the pastor's in-laws who are dealing with a little-known illness (at the time) called Alzheimers. In a nearby women's prison, an eccentric young woman is scheduled to die for the horrible murder of her little ...more

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Jun 05, 2014 Thomas Fredrick rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

You find out in the prologue of the book that a tornado is going headed toward a small town in Oklahoma on a Friday afternoon in 1964. Then the book opens on the Monday of that week and you live each day leading up to that friday--the five days in May, with a cast of characters so warm and believable you'll think you must have gone to high school with all of them.
Every day, there are new revelations as each of four people in the town plans death of some sort for Friday. A teenager plans an abort ...more

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Jun 05, 2014 Sarah Bridges rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I knew a book with a tornado on the cover would be psychological suspense—and boy, was I right! The book is the story of four people who live in a little Oklahoma town in the 1960s. Each of them has planned death in some form for Friday. But what they don't know is that an F5 tornado is going to strike that Friday and change all their plans.
The book starts out at an easy pace, then the mystery--and the magic--begin to unfold as the days tick off to Friday. And on that day, a match-flame of tensi ...more

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Nov 05, 2015 Cristina Trowbridge rated it it was amazing

First of all, I want to thank Ninie Hammon for the free Kindle download of this book. Given that I had already read and (very favorably!) reviewed her book, The Memory Closet, I was eager to read another book written by her. Free books are nice, but they do not "buy" good reviews from me---so let me say with full honestly: I truly enjoyed this book. Ninie writes in a way that allows the reader to hear the voices of her characters, accents and all. I could visualize the people, the locations, and ...more

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Aug 13, 2014 Mary McDonald rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I was going to give this 4 stars, but changed it to 5 after writing this review. I was a bit confused in the beginning until I got the gist of the characters and by page 100 I figured out (or so I thought) where the plot was headed. I was still enjoying it at this point, however, I totally devoured the last 130 pages. I couldn't put this book down! SUSPENSEFUL is the word. This book has a little bit of everything in it...mystery, good vs evil, psychic/medium, faith, unconditional love, family bo ...more

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Aug 26, 2014 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

Touching and heartbreaking

Touching and heartbreaking

What a great story! So much goes on in this book and Ninie Hammon captured the essence of that time period so eloquently and colorfully. What happens in the five days in May before the devastating tornado rips apart the town is so grand and touching your heart aches for each person struggling with life issues between illnesses, death, and disillusion. Salvation, forgiveness and repentance are key factors and watching the story unfold from start ...more

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Aug 16, 2014 Rose rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014-reads, 2014-top-5, paranormal, thriller

I think this may be the best book I've read so far this year. It's certainly up there.

With a story reminiscent of The Green Mile and a wonderfully paced plot, characters so well-drawn you feel you could reach out and touch them, and similes to die for, I'm not really sure if this book could be improved on.

I can heartily recommend this novel and am definitely going to read some more by this author. ...more

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Aug 23, 2014 Beth rated it really liked it

Put together a man whose wife has Alzheimer's, a pastor ready to commit spiritual suicide, a pregnant teen, and a young woman in the Long Dark (death row). Add to the mix the 5 days leading up to a horrendous storm encased tornado and you get a novel of suspense, rejuvenation and healing. I almost quit reading the book because of the hopelessness of the mail characters...I wanted something more uplifting. I kept reading and couldn't put it down. ...more

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Aug 20, 2014 Faith Cummings rated it it was amazing

Five Days in May: a Tale of Sacrifice

This is one of the best books I have ever read, on Kindle or any other way. It is so complex, that it is hard to describe. But the story will draw you in and you will not stop until you reach the end. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a riveting and unforgetable story.

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Aug 26, 2014 Jan rated it really liked it

I read this book in Kindle form and I could not stop reading it. It captured me quickly. Emily Prentiss, or "Princess," is the eccentric young woman facing death in the electric chair for her role in her younger sister's murder years ago, was my favorite character in this book. So many twists and turns. ...more

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Sep 11, 2014 Alfredia Haynes rated it it was amazing

Simply great book!

The book starts out a little "strange", but as it progresses it becomes engrossing. The characters came to life and I quickly developed an emotional tie to them. I have never read a book by Ninie Hammon, before, but I sure want to read more by her. This is a complex book that is really well written. I loved it. ...more

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Jul 22, 2018 Joni rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian, christion-fiction, thriller, suspense, owned-kindle, speculative, contemporary, _read-2018

It pulls you into their lives and doesn't let go. You don't have to worry about getting bored with it.
This is my first book by this author, but it will not be my last. Lord willing.
"DON'T NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF DOIN' THE RIGHT THING."

"But none of them comes to the crossroads of life and death by the path they'd planned or leaves with the result they expected." ...more

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Aug 16, 2014 Kittykorn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014-reads, favorites, amazon-kindle-store

I freaking love this book. I hated having to keep putting it down and deal with my kids and life lol. It's a very enjoyable read and highly recommend it, its gone straight on my favourite shelf brilliant ...more

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Aug 23, 2014 Connie Smith rated it it was amazing

Really good book

This is a book that is just different enough to make you want to keep on reading. It is inspirational and suspenseful all in one and kept me gripped throughout. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

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Sep 03, 2014 Rosalie Smith rated it it was amazing

I

I found this book intriguing and fascinating. It kept me reading for hours on end. Princess enthralled me, always never err sure where she was going. The tornado was horrifying.

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Jan 15, 2016 Joann Dew rated it liked it

Liked this book but not as well as Memory Closet by the same author. Princess was in prison for a murder and had been in solitary confinement for many years. I enjoyed reading it, but Princess could "see things" and warn people about certain happenings. That seemed a little too "far fetched" to me. ...more

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Feb 29, 2016 Tamara rated it really liked it

This story sweeps you up and takes you for a page turning wild ride just like the twister that impacts the characters' lives at the end. The characters deal with impactful issues to discuss such as abortion, the death penalty and euthanasia making this a good book club selection. ...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Leslie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Excellent Book! Wasn't expecting it to end the way it did! ...more

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Aug 15, 2014 Eloise Coetzee rated it really liked it

I loved the characters. They were exceptionally real and raw. Princess was reminiscent of Coffey in The Green Mile for me.

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Aug 17, 2014 Carol rated it really liked it

Great book, good characters. Good suspense. I stayed up way too late, had to finish it!

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Aug 19, 2014 Rose Beyke rated it really liked it

I picked this up free on Amazon through freedigitalreads.com and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the book. I will read more of her.

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About Ninie Hammon

Ninie Hammon

190 followers

I was born in Socorro, New Mexico, sometime shortly after the earth cooled off. It’s clear that from the outset my parents never intended for me to amount to anything. How could I? With a name like “Ninie?” Please.

Fame and fortune do not come to people named Ninie Bovell (My maiden name.) Gabriella Bovary? You could work with that. Even something as pedestrian as Madeline Bovell or Rebecca Bovell I was born in Socorro, New Mexico, sometime shortly after the earth cooled off. It’s clear that from the outset my parents never intended for me to amount to anything. How could I? With a name like “Ninie?” Please.

Fame and fortune do not come to people named Ninie Bovell (My maiden name.) Gabriella Bovary? You could work with that. Even something as pedestrian as Madeline Bovell or Rebecca Bovell or (though you’d lose points here for lack of originality) Elizabeth Bovell. But Ninie? I never had a chance.

If I sound a mite hostile, bear in mind that in one decisive stroke my parents sentenced their precious newborn daughter to a lifetime of explanations that began my first day at Muleshoe Elementary School. (Yeah, Muleshoe. The hits just keep on coming.) After a painful week, I had a rap down that I still use today:

“No, it’s not Ninnie like skinny and penny. It’s Ninie—rhymes with tiny and shiny. 9e…get it? And no, it doesn’t mean anything, it isn’t short for anything, long for anything, or a substitute for anything. It just is. (Pause here for the inevitable ‘Why?’) You got me, pal, I couldn’t tell you.”

I grew up in Texas, got a BA in English and theatre from Texas Tech University and snagged a job as a newspaper reporter. Didn't know a thing about journalism, but my editor said if I could write he could teach me the rest of it and if I couldn't write the rest of it didn't matter. I hung in there for a 25-year career as a journalist. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, but as soon as I figured out that making up the facts was a whole lot more fun than reporting them, I never looked back.

Now, I write suspense--every flavor except pistachio: psychological suspense, inspirational suspense, suspense thrillers, paranormal suspense, suspense mysteries.

In every book I write I try to keep this promise to Loyal Reader: I will tell you a story in a distinctive voice you'll always recognize, about people as ordinary as you are--people who have been slammed by something they didn’t sign on for, and now they must fight for their lives. Then smack in the middle of their everyday worlds, those people encounter the unexplainable--and it's always the game-changer."

...more