My Midnight Sun

I enjoyed reading "My Midnight Sun" tremendously. The story is beautiful and beautifully written.From the ocean's depths off Phuket, Thailand, to the "top of the world," the Thorung La Pass in Nepal, the author weaves a unique and heartwarming love story into a vivid travel log. The author paints a portrait of Bangkok that is better than anything that I have read. Once the story line moves to Nepal, I found myself using Google Maps to follow Owen and Suchin's incredible journey as their friendship deepens and grows into love.Shors' fine writing captivated me as in this quote from early in the book: "For a long time we lay in silence, staring into the blank sky. The nearby city was somewhat quiet, nothing more than background music. The moon had shifted and was much lower in the horizon. I stared at it until my lids grew heavy and I closed my eyes."I gave "My Midnight Sun" five stars and didn't feel that is quite enough. It is a wonderful book.

Colorado author John Shors has the gift. It is as simple as that. In BENEATH A MARBLE SKY he created a stunning love story woven through the interstices of the 16th century Hindustani building of the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the world, a place on earth where Paradise touches mortals in a magnificent mausoleum for the beloved wife of the Emperor - a symphonic novel of surpassing craftsmanship and beauty, that novel is also a book that informs the reader about the differences between Muslim and Hindu religions, about the Persian Empire, about customs of caste, of worldviews, of architecture, and of the myriad flavors of a land too few of us understand. He continued this quality of writing in BESIDE A BURNING SEA, DRAGON HOUSE, THE WISHING TREES, CROSS CURRENTS, TEMPLE OF A THOUSAND FACES, UNBOUND, THE DEMON SEEKERS Trilogy, and now MY MIDNIGHT SUN. He lives in Boulder, CO.In this new and very refreshing novel. John celebrates romance, that at times precarious arena where loss and past history find succor in new relationships. Prior to opening his story he informs us of his personal experiences of backpacking around Asia, most significantly for this novel, his trek through Himalayas and Nepal. Basing his descriptions on remembered facts, he opens the story in Thailand in 2004: ‘I heard the tsunami before I saw it – a rumbling, grinding roar that sounded like an old building being brought down by explosives. I hear the screams next – shrieks of terror, pain, and confusion, Turning on my side, I only had time to notice that Sarah was no longer wrapping the sarong about her waist. Instead, she had paused to look at me, her mouth open but still. A heartbeat later, the sea assaulted our bungalow…’ How this incident initiates the story suggests the immediacy of the emotional content.The synopsis captures the path of the book: ‘Life is good for thirty-year-old Owen Sterling. But when tragedy strikes during his honeymoon in Thailand, the future he'd hoped for is shattered. After time with his family and friends in America does little to ease his pain, Owen returns to Asia to try to make peace with his past. A chance encounter unites him with Suchin, a young Thai woman battling her own demons. Inspired by their unexpected connection, the unlikely pair of traveling companions journeys to Nepal, soon embarking on an extraordinary trek through the Himalayas. Facing their own doubts, as well as everything from bandits to mudslides to illness, Owen and Suchin climb higher, their bond strengthening with each step. But the shadows of their pasts continue to loom large. And while both seek rebirth within a beautiful yet unforgiving land, neither knows if they will reach a legendary summit. The climb could break them--or save them.’ A blend of adventure, romance, and challenges.Once again John Shors underlines his enviable position as a significant American author. Very highly recommended. Grady Harp, August 20

John Shors has to travel to bring his stories alive with such geographic and cultural authenticity. This adventuresome, engaging, and inspirational romance presents a love story full of empathy and fantasy. This book will keep you enthralled by reminding you that we are all born with a life sentence. We must and can learn how to make the best of our short life span.I will remember this book by the following quote. "It's simple, Suchin. I'll search the sky until I see your face. And when I do, I'll memorize it like I have the other constellations. You'll be the most beautiful one of them all."I recommend this book to anyone who wants to plunge into a breathtaking and unforgettable love story.

This is my first John Shors experience, and it was amazing. I really like his writing style and the way his characters come to life as real people. They are flawed, tragic, vulnerable and sweet and yet the stories they tell of themselves, their experiences, makes me want to read more. I delighted in meeting Owen Sterling, t I adored heading out with Owen to Thailand, and to take on the tough road that liesahead of him. The action is strong, the drama is intelligent, and misfortune, love, and recovery are managed in a handy and frequently painfully wonderful way. Having never been to Thailand or that part of Asia, I found his detailed descriptions of each of the places his characters visit paint a vivid picture in my mind. The vista for this story is wide, giving this story an enormous reach where otherworldliness views with a gripping plot.I'd like to read more of Mr. Shors' work. I truly like his composing style and the manner in which his characters become animated as genuine individuals. They are defective, disastrous, helpless and sweet but the tales they recount themselves, their encounters, makes me need to understand more. I cherished this multifaceted story of conquering pain to live and adore further. Oddly, I enjoy that message most of all when it comes through the cost of very difficult times for the characters involved.

Non-fiction has always been my genre of choice, but I was drawn to My Midnight Sun for some reason, and wow, was I not disappointed! This is my first book by John Shors. He is an excellent novelist. I found the book captivating from the very beginning with his survival and lost during a terrible tsunami, and the story line only gets better with his travels, strong characters and how he and they deal with the unbelievable challenges in their lives--from loss of love, homelessness, terminal illness--and the quest to still achieve unimaginable feats in spite of them. I found it difficult to put the book down. The dialogue, description of scenes and actions made be feel very present and apart of the experiences. My Midnight Sun is a riveting, bittersweet, yet loving account of coping and thriving with the good and bad that life can throw your way. Highly recommended!

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, in fact it was hard to put down.A wonderful story about despair, hope, perseverance and love.Great descriptions of Thailand and Nepal, of the people, their traditions and their way of life.It also tells of sadness, but at the end there’s hope and love. An author I haven’t read before, but will look out for again. Read it and enjoy

Thailand, 2004. Owen Sterling and his wife Sarah are on their honeymoon anticipating a bright future together when tragedy strikes. Sarah is swept away in a tsunami. Owen’s grief overwhelms him and freezes him. After a period back in the USA, he returns to Asia to try to make peace.A chance encounter in Bangkok results in Owen meeting Suchin, a young Thai woman facing her own mortality. Suchin has a dream: she would like to see the mountains before she dies. Owen wants to make her dream a reality and buys them tickets to Nepal so they can climb into the Himalayas.Can Suchin survive long enough to realise her dream? Can Owen face his own challenges?I found this a bittersweet read. While I initially had trouble accepting that two strangers could undertake such a journey together, I was quickly swept up in the journey. I liked Suchin and hoped (against all the odds) that she would (somehow) recover. I wanted Owen to find his way. I wanted them both to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Life does not always work out the way we want it to. Sadly.Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I loved this story even though it was extremely sad. I couldn’t put the book down and often wondered throughout reading it if I would have the courage or strength to make another human being so happy knowing it would be their end.

Speedy delivery. Great Author. Excited to read. All his books are amazing. Favourite Author