Ransomed Dreams (Side Roads) [Paperback]

Ransomed Dreams by Sally John is the first book in the Side Roads series. Sheridan Montgomery's life was shattered by an assassin's bullet that nearly killed her ambassador husband, Eliot, on their assignment in Caracas, Venezuela. Now they live in a remote village in Mexico trying to put back together the pieces of their lives. Eliot, who was a suave and eloquent gentleman is almost mute in his struggle with constant pain and the loss of independence. Sheridan gave up her charity work in fear that another bullet could come from any quarter. A year after the shooting, Luke Traynor arrives at their home to announce that Sheridan has been summoned home to Chicago by her sister Calissa because their father is dying. Luke cared for Sheridan in the days and weeks after the attack until she came to depend on him too much and asked him to never come back. John has rendered a world in which a life can be completely changed in a single moment and forces the reader to consider how their own life would survive. Sheridan, Eliot, and Calissa also seem to live with sunburned emotions; even the slightest touch causes flinching and pain. There's also a story of terrible family secrets, the lies we tell to conceal them, and how we move forward from our parents' history. Ultimately it's a story of hope and learning to thrive where God puts you. John's writing is multi-layered with fully fleshed characters and well worth the read.