Hello First Liners! Lovely to have you back again. This week I’m featuring the first line from an emotionally gripping read by Katie Ganshert. It released earlier this week on 18 April, and you can read my review here. It’s a not-to-be-missed read!
~ About the Book ~
Snow whirls around an elevated train platform in Chicago. A distracted woman boards the train, takes her seat, and moments later a fiery explosion rips through the frigid air, tearing the car apart in a horrific attack on the city’s transit system. One life is spared. Twenty-two are lost.
A year later, Autumn Manning can’t remember the day of the bombing and she is tormented by grief—by guilt. Twelve months of the question constantly echoing. Why? Why? Why? Searching for answers, she haunts the lives of the victims, unable to rest.
Paul Elliott lost his wife in the train bombing and wants to let the dead rest in peace, undisturbed and unable to cause more pain for his loved ones. He wants normalcy for his twelve-year-old daughter and young son, to see them move beyond the heartbreak. But when the Elliotts and Autumn are unexpectedly forced together, he fears she’ll bring more wreckage in her wake.
In Life After, Katie Ganshert’s most complex and unforgettable novel yet, the stirring prose and authentic characters pose questions of truth, goodness, and ultimate purpose in this emotionally resonant tale.
~ First Line ~
We rarely know when death will come.
What a first line, huh?
Don’t forget to share your first line in the comments, and then hop on over and find out what the other First Liners have for you today:
Jessica ~ A Baker’s Perspective // Sarah ~ All The Book Blog Names Are Taken
Bree ~ Bibliophile Reviews // Rachel ~ Bookworm Mama // Amanda ~ With a Joyful Noise
Heather ~ Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen // Beth ~ Faithfully Bookish
Kathleen ~ Kathleen Denly // Lauraine ~ Lauraine’s Notes // Andi ~ Radiant Light
Carrie ~ Reading is my Superpower // Robin ~ Robin’s Nest // Sydney ~ Singing Librarian
If you would like to join us for First Line Friday, contact Carrie at Reading is my Superpower.
Hello and Good morning! 🙂 I’m moving around a bit here. My first line is from Chapter 2 of “Wildfire at Midnight,” by Mary Stewart.
“It was an hour later. I had washed, brushed the railway smoke out of my hair, and changed.”
That’s two lines! One line just didn’t seem enough. 🙂
Oh, I love Mary Stewart! That was a great read!
Happy Friday! My first line is: “For a moment she couldn’t breathe, and then the barest whisper passed her lips – half spontaneous praise half simple awe. ‘Oh my… I’ve found Paradise!’ ” From Spring Raine by Delia Latham
What a great first line!
HE IS WORTHY
Honor the Lord you heavenly beings: honor the Lord for his glory and strength. Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Psalm 29:1-2
I HAVE FLOWN A LOT OF MILES in the past twenty years, so not surprisingly, I take many things about the experience for granted. From Worship Changes Everything by Darlene Zschech
Amen!
Wow…what a stark first line.
That it is. It sets the tone perfectly, but I love how it contrasts with the last line in the book: “This was going to be fun.” It’s a a amazing journey to get from one to the other.
I pre-ordered this new book and I’m patiently waiting for it to arrive. Happy Friday!
It’s such a compelling story! Enjoy!
I loved that book, Katie! It tugged on my heartstrings.
My first line is: “The commotion outside his office ought to have served as something of a warning, but Jason Jonquil, barrister and proud perfectionist, had done nothing but glance up from his ruler-straight stack of papers when the first noises had drifted through his closed door.” From A Fine Gentleman by Sarah M. Eden
Ooh! I like. I’ll have to check that one out!
I love Sarah M. Eden’s books. This is her newest one–I won it a few days ago. She writes historical fiction, mostly Regency, but she has a series set in Wyoming, I think around 1870-80ish. I can’t remember the date for sure.
Wow. Sounds like quite a book!
My “first line” is from a children’s poetry book.
“Good morning, Lord, it’s time to rise.
The sun is shining bright.
I’ve got my day ahead of me.
Please help me do what’s right.”
(“Princess Prayers” by Crystal Bowman)
It’s a powerful read! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Wow. Great first line and that description sounds like it’s going to squeeze the reader’s hearts, for sure.
I’ll be reviewing The Patriot & The Loyalist by Angela K. Couch, this Monday on my blog, so I’ll share the first line from that book:
South Carolina, November 1780
Daniel Reid slowed his horse and sucked air into his lungs as he reined to the road’s grassy edge.
I loved The Patriot and the Loyalist!
Isn’t that a fabulous book?!
Yes!
I NEED TO READ THIS ONE!!!
Yes, you do!