Before the Dawn: A Novel,

by Dean Hughes

Book Overview

When the bishop calls Leah Sorensen to be Relief Society president, her first impulse is to assume he's joking. "They'd all vote against me if you put my name up," she tells him, "and I'd vote with... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590387880
• ISBN13: 9781590387887
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Shadow Mountain
• Length: 297 Pages
• Weight: 12.70 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Great Story About a Strong Woman

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.

A Book Worth Reading

As a book reviewer for a newspaper and a wary reader of Christian Fiction, I was happily surprised by this book. The characters are heartwarming and real. The setting is a great choice since we all admire those that survived and triumphed during the depression years. Somehow as we face our own fears during economic and family difficulties we are able to learn from the characters in the novel. The target audience seems to be Mormon women but others have enjoyed it since it has some universal themes. A perfect choice for book clubs!

a great book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Read it in 3 days. It is definitely written for a Christian audience. I learned a lot about the Depression and about how sisters ban together to help each other. Very, very good book.

This is what it is like to be a Mormon woman!

I am so thrilled with this book. I love the sensitivity, humor, insight and historical facets of Mr. Hughes' writing. The characters are very well-developed...so much so that I felt so connected to them and their situations; it was almost as if I were part of this small town. Not only is this such a realistic story, it tells the truth about the mission of the Relief Society, and the true teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (patience, love, forgiveness, the constant quest for bettering oneself). Although it doesn't delve into specifics of the religion, I would be proud to recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about what it is like to be a Mormon woman...this is it!

A Wonderful Novel About the Depression Era!!!

I just finished this wonderful and very insightful novel about the Depression. This is a story about Leah Sorensen, a widow with two teenaged children, who has what it takes to raise her children and manage her farm. I learned some new insights on just how severe the Depression was and how long a drought we had. Leah is called to be the Relief Society President of her ward for which she feels too inadequate to handle. Dean gives insight to how the ward members all helped one another and Leah learned just what it is to be a Relief Society President and what Relief Society is!!!! And, that the Relief Society is what holds The Church together because we are the heart. There are some humorous incidents in the story that are very touching and heartwarming. Dean was able to have some good insights on this subject, as his wife was in the General Board of The Relief Society just this year, and was recently released. If you want to get a better insight into Relief Society and the role of a Relief Society President and the Depression, read this book. You'll be glad you did!!!!