Christy Brunke crafts a compelling debut novel in Snow out of Season and weaves two storylines together with skill.

In the first storyline, which takes place during modern day, drama teacher Shannon Henry and her physics teacher husband Wade have recently lost their baby daughter to SIDS. Then Shannon discovers she’s pregnant again and learns the baby she’s carrying has a definite Down’s Syndrome diagnosis. They consider terminating the pregnancy, though Shannon is conflicted.

During the second storyline, which occurs in 1979, high school student Leslie Gardner’s dreams of becoming a professional ballerina are in jeopardy when she learns she’s pregnant. One friend encourages her to abort the baby, but Leslie isn’t sure she wants to make that choice.

In present day, Shannon notices small items, such as a photograph, are disappearing. Soon her life begins to change altogether.

I love the clear pro-life message this story illustrates beautifully. The plot is gripping, and the characters are relatable. This book kept me reading past my bedtime on a couple of nights.

Brunke’s novel won third place in the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild Operation First Novel Contest. I hope to read more from Christy Brunke in the future. To learn more about Brunke, visit www.christybrunke.com.