God Bless the Broken Road

Dornbush’s debut novel reads much more like a screenplay than a contemporary inspirational romance. The novel follows the travails of Amber Hill, young mother to eight-year-old Bree, who’s still recovering from the sudden death of her soldier husband in Afghanistan. Her path crosses that of Cody Jackson, a stock car driver who lacks both patience and precision—which he’s been sent to the fictional small American town of Clarksville to learn from experienced mechanic Joe. As Amber struggles to surface from drowning in the details of life without her husband and a contentious relationship with her mother-in-law, friends and faith community members attempt to buoy her with their love. Unfortunately, what might play well on the big screen desperately struggles on the page. Atmospheric details and Amber’s perspective overwhelm an already loss-heavy narrative, obliterating any attempt at subtlety. Shallow characterizations are painted with broad strokes that ignore the more delicate nuances of grief and fail to capture the true weight of losing a loved one. Agent: Julie Gwinn, Seymour Agency. (June)