Light from Distant Stars

A story of a father and a son, A story of a husband’s betrayal. Cohen’s father was once a fire and brimstone preachers (but the book doesn’t dwell on that) but is forced to leave the church and becomes a funeral director. Most of the story is spent with Cohen at his father’s side as he lays

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dying in the hospital. Cohen spends most of his time remembering his childhood; playing baseball with Ava, and helping two friends search for the Beast.

Amazing book! I read it in two days. Compelling, page turner.

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The cover for this is so beautiful, and that's honestly my main reason for picking it. To be honest, it took a long time for me to get into this book, and even so, I was never that engaged. There's two stories being told at the same time, and it took me a while at the start of every chapter to

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realize which storyline was being picked up. There were also some side characters, like Ava, that I felt weren't given the amount of character development and screentime; in fact, I think the only character that was actually important was Cohen. Overall, however, the writing was still quite good—it was the plot itself that I didn't click with.

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I'm of mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it was well written, the ideas were thought-provoking, and some of the characters were well-drawn and interesting. At the same time, it never really grabbed me as it did some other reviewers. The religious aspects are not as meaningful to me

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and I sometimes felt like the author was torn in too many directions as to the tone/theme of the story. Overall, I'm glad I read it, which I guess is a good thing.

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This book was odd. The premise sounded interesting but I had a really hard time getting into it and it never did really grab my interest. Some days I really had to push myself to pick it back up and keep reading. The story was interesting but hard to make sense of at points. I'm still not entirely

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sure what was going on in the narrative of Cohen's childhood memories. It's well written; the storyline just never came together for me.

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This is such a deep story, and filled with emotions, and aching for a child/man, and all the while wondering if he did kill his father?
It did take me a bit to get into this book, but I’m sure glad that I did, a read that soon had me page-turning.
The main character Cohen deals with the ultimate

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child abuse, his to some extent, but others that his heart cannot take, and we relive this with him.
A book that you need to take your time with, there is death and rebirth here, and salvation. A story that will give you chills, and keep you warm at the same time, and at the end, you know that life continues.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

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Cohen Marah is a middle-aged man trying to reconcile himself to his father's eminent death and the fact that he may have contributed to the cause. As he waits by his father's bedside and deals with police questions about his father's accident Cohen recalls his life until this moment and his

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reflections alternate between the present setting of 2015 and flashbacks to his youth. Memories of being a young boy infatuated with his Sunday School teacher and fidgeting during his father's Sunday sermons; his strict and unyielding mother who was the actual author of his father's sermons; and Cohen's secret discovery that eventually tore his family apart. The divorce that prompted Cohen's mother to move with his sister to the city left Cohen to spend the rest of his youth living with his father in the funeral home that was now the family business. It is this constant reminder of death and the people that he met during this time that helps us understand the complicated man that Cohen Marah has become!
Light from Distant Stars has mystery, circumstances that suggest the paranormal, and the implication that most families are not as they seem. As he stands by his comatose father's bedside with his sister and mother "Cohen wonders how other children and parents go on through their lives, choosing what to forgive, what to ignore, what to become embittered by."
This story reminds us that we all fall short but we all deserve forgiveness. Light from Distant Stars wasn't an easy book for me to read but oh, I am so glad that I did!
I received a complimentary copy from the author and publisher but I am voluntarily sharing my opinions in this review.

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After I read the first 10 pages of this novel, I decided that it wasn't my kind of book and I wouldn't finish it. I decided to read a little more and gradually got caught up in the life of the main character and the way the story was told and didn't put the book down again until I was finished with

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it. I found this haunting story to be mesmerizing and unforgettable. The writing is beautiful and parts of the story are heartbreaking but the overall theme is one of hope for the future and forgiveness of the past.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

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This is the first book I've read from this author. His writing style is a bit different than I'm use to. He has strong characters though which he develops slowly like peeling an onion with precision.

Cohen is a complex person who has had a troubled relationship with his father. They seemed to

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disconnect after Cohen's mother leaves with his sister. It must have been hard to be separated from his mother. I enjoyed the letters he received from Kaye, his sister as they grew up.

The story is a very dynamic look at a father and son relationship. It's not unusual for a son to want approval from his father and Cohen desired that more than anything. He wanted his father to be proud of him, but he seemed to disappoint him on a level that was hard for Cohen to understand.

He made lots of trips to church and after awhile I wanted to tell him to listen to the wisdom he has been told and move on. I don't want to take away the obvious topic of relationships because the author does a great job of examining how Cohen felt guilty of not really letting his father know how much he loved him. Cohen just seemed not able to let go of his guilt and it hurt to think he may not get the chance to tell his father how important he has been in his life.

For me the book does make you think about your life and how your relationship is with family. Life is too short to let a day go by being angry because of your pride. It looks like the author accomplished a very important message through this book. Be thankful for everyday and let those you love know how important they are to you.

I received a copy of this book from Revell Reads Blog Program. The review is my own opinion.

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This story takes place over 6 days but covers years of Cohen’s life. During the last 6 days of his fathers life, Cohen remembers much of his childhood. He remembers things that he had forgotten about. Everything that he remembers helps to lead him to being a better person. I really enjoyed every

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bit of this story. I received a copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

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Light from Distant Stars was a strange book.
Written in a tone of reminiscing, Light from Distant Stars is partly mystery, but not enough so to label it mystery or recommend it as a mystery.

Cohen, the main character, slowly works through the death of his father through confession and examining the

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past. Although his examination leaves the reader with few clear answers, we do learn more about the relationship Cohen had with his father prior to death.

It was kind of frustrating to me as a reader that the major question of the entire novel was never answered.

Overall I found Light from Distant Stars to be a slow, reflective read. Not bad, but not really my cup of tea, either. However, if you are the type of reader who enjoys a slow simmer and savors each and every word, then the pace Smucker sets would likely be enjoyable to you.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Not entirely to my taste right now. Overwhelming thought is sadness for those in the story.

I received this book from Librarything Early Reviewers.

When I requested this book through Early Reviewers, the synopsis lead me to believe this was a mystery/thriller, so I don't think I am the intended audience for this novel. It is definitely not a thriller, and while there are some elements that

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make it a mystery , the mystery is never explicitly solved, but the reader is left to make their own conclusions. This is a Christian Fiction novel. The author is a very good writer if you know what type of book you're reading. It is very reflective, and looks back at the main character's relationship mainly with his father while his father is on his deathbed following a mysterious accident/incident that never gets fully explained.

I was thrown by the ending, but honestly had no idea where this book was leading anyway. I wouldn't call it a twist, but a major event takes place that seemed pretty out of left-field and had nothing to do with the main characters of the novel. This wasn't a bad thing, but just a different choice for the author to make.

All-in-all, I didn't love this book, but I feel like it needs to be properly marketed to the appropriate readers in order to be fully appreciated.

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Another delightful, fantastical novel from Shawn Smucker, Light From Distant Stars features Cohen Marah, caught between the past and the present, between what is true and what lives in his memory. There’s baseball and friendship and trauma and till, plenty of hope as Cohen’s story

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unfolds.

Smucker writes with an enchanting beauty that makes Light From Distant Stars a captivating read, even if it does more slowly, at times, and I enjoyed it. It is a perfect reading choice for fans of character-driven plots with a touch of the magical, and I recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Bookish First Impressions Excerpt Review 11July2019

This excerpt just drew me into a story for which I have so many unanswered questions. It is obvious that this is a family with scandalous secrets. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that the main character casually steps over his dead father

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in their basement mortuary. Again, another interesting aspect of concern is the family mortuary business. So many thoughts about why the preacher father is ousted from the church. Does the congregation still have faith in this family business? There seems to be a lot of repressed emotions and memories which are resurfacing. This book seems like an interesting read of a psychological drama with many twists and turns before a mysterious past is unraveled.

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I found this book to be so beautifully written! What I thought was going to be a mystery turned out to be so much more! It’s told by Cohen in both present day (actually 2015) and in the past as a young boy. I’m not sure really how to put it into words but it was so mesmerizing and sucks you in.

I DNF this book it was not for me.