Before the Dawn

Leah Sorensen is raising her two teenage children, running her farm, and trying to survive in the Great Depression. She is a Christian woman and tries hard to do the right thing in her life. Her church bishop shows up one day, as she's plowing behind her horses, and asks her to run the Relief Society as president. Leah, of course, thinks that the bishop has lost his mind and tells him no. He asks her to please think about it and that the Lord told him she would make a great leader. With that added pressure and guilt, Leah agrees and holds the first meeting where she offends most of the "sister's". Leah is very outspoken and says exactly what is on her mind. (She reminded me of myself, a lot.)Dean Hughes has created very memorable characters that you will enjoy a great deal. Belva, who is everyones grandmother who is full of wisdom, Rachel, her stubborn daughter that Leah has a love hate relationship with, and Wade her adoring son. A host of colorful people that you will meet as Leah tries to bring throught the rough times during the Great Depression.

This book was amazing to me. It taught me that you can't judge anyone else, because you really don't know what they have gone through. These last few years have been difficult financially but they don't compare to what people went through during the depression. Learning to love those who are hard to love is important and possible if we take the time to get to know them. And yet we can be ourselves and don't have to do things the way everyone else does, but we do have to consider how we say what we are saying and check our own attitudes and motives. It was very powerful for me.

I have read this book before, so it wasn't a surprise to read about Leah and her call to be a Relief Society President in a time when the harshness of the depression was upon the people. Leah a widow has 2 children in their teens. She struggle with why she has been called. She is a harsh woman who tells it like it is, but gains a great heart. Brings the Relief Society sisters together and helps folks survive

This was a very good book. But I found a major mistake at the end that should have been picked up by editing. The main character Leah was speaking at her friend Belva's funeral. When Leah was saying that Belva came to the area 50 years ago. She actually used her own name and said Leah came to the area 50 years ago. Character mix up. There were other editing mistakes.

Incredible story of a widow dealing with trying to support her family during the depression, and confronting old fears and negative feelings of self worth. All the while having to realize that those she judged harshly in the past, were really not the monsters she thought they were. A really beautiful story of how when we take the time to see others as Christ sees us, our lives can be so much richer and happier.

This book takes on some of the challenges of the Great Depression period. I enjoyed the characters and found them realistically portrayed. Dean Hughes is my favorite LDS writer, and after reading Before the Dawn, I long to have another LDS historical fiction novel with this time period as the background. My suggestion (plea) for Mr. Hughes is that he write a prequel series to the Children of the Promise series. Use the childhood period of the Thomases and the Snows, ending in the marriage of Al and Bea. How about it, Brother Hughes? Are you up for it?

This is a story for quiet time when you can stay with the characters and get to know them. They will become your friends. I was inspired by how they worked so hard to help each other during the hard times of the great depression. It caused this reader to reflect upon my own circumstances and see how very easy my life is.

This was a really good read. Especially for LDS church members. It describes the trials of a good woman who was not so active.She is called to be Relief Society President. She struggles with her new calling and it really helps her life. A very good book.