I have another really great book to share with you today. I didn’t participate in this particular campaign so I don’t have a personal review, but I do have a review (shared with permission) by another blogger. The book is called When Dreams Touch and it is written by Dr. Rosemary Hanrahan Edwards.
First, a little info about the book:
Caught between the 1980’s HIV/AIDS global pandemic and the devastating January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, three women strive to realize their dreams.
Pregnant and uneducated, 16-year-old Adelaide trades her dream of escaping the grinding poverty of her rural village for hopes of a better life for her unborn child. Kate, a young American physician, often finds her roles as mother and wife to be in conflict with her childhood dream to practice medicine in a third-world country. Giselle, a university-educated artist, lives in Port-au-Prince. While she sympathizes with the plight of her fellow Haitians, she envisions her and her family’s future as a comfortable life in the United States.
When the violent 1991 coup d’état erupts in Haiti, these three women’s lives intersect and are forever changed. Despite different cultures and life circumstances, the women share a vision of a better future for their children and the troubled country of Haiti. Their personal stories of adversity, tragedy and triumph are embedded in the complex social, political and cultural climate that evolves when international assistance programs influence individuals and communities in the developing world. Often in startling contrast, the women portrayed in When Dreams Touch are united through mutual understanding and respect. With courage and perseverance, they confront the broader injustices of the world they live in and create a legacy of enduring hope.
“When Dreams Touch” was awarded: the 2015 Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award for superior work by a debut author, the 2015 Eric Hoffer Award for e-book fiction, the 2015 National Indie Excellence Award for regional fiction and the 2015 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for historical fiction. The book was also selected as a Historical Finalist, as a First Novel Finalist, and as a General Fiction Finalist in the 2015 IAN Book of the Year Awards and featured in The US Review.
All proceeds from sales of When Dreams Touch go to health and education programs in Haiti.
Available to buy from….
Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Barnes and Noble Kobo iBooks
“Hanrahan, a physician who has a decade of firsthand experience living and working in Haiti and other developing countries, brings a realism to her novel that only one who has seen it for themselves can hope to portray.” RECOMMENDED by the US Review
“The author’s voice is smooth and professional and she has a way with words that will pull you in and entertain you. In fact, I found it really hard to part with. I’m very impressed with the skill here…. All in all a wonderful read that I highly recommend.” – 22nd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards
Sister Carmelle, the director of Fondwa Clinic in Haiti practicing drawing blood as part of training for the community’s HIV/AIDS program funded by the College of American Pathologists Foundation and Partners in Progress..Sister Carmelle passed awy in March 2012. “When Dreams Touch” is dedicated to this incredible woman. An inspiration and dear friend to me and so many others.
And Now For A Guest Book Review by Rachel Quaill
Five Stars
Powerful and Emotional Read
From the beginning the characters quickly developed into real people that you could relate to and you immediately just wanted the best for them. The dire circumstances in which they lived was something you could absolutely not fathom. The interplay between the three strong female characters kept you wanting to read on. All you kept thinking was things are going to get better, they have to get better and then the author would quickly change to the other characters experience. When the chapter ended and you started delving back into the other characters’ life I was a bit disappointed to switch stories, however, once the pages turned and you read on you began to fall in love with the other character. It was a smart way to get the reader involved in such different people’s lives by showing the connections they each had with one another.
With the AIDS epidemic in full swing, poverty eating away at the souls of society, and the artists reaction to these socio-cultural dynamics the story evolves and leads you into this world that you may have no knowledge of. The author, Rosemary Hanrahan, begins the story with her background and delivers to the reader a sense of purpose. You almost feel that after reading this book you are bound to do what you can to help change these terrible human injustices that exist, not just in Haiti, but all over the world. Hanrahan shares her role in this historical novel and helps shape your thoughts on the deeper meanings behind her characters. Hanrahan did an amazing job in helping you relate very personally with every character that she introduced the reader to. The emotional bond I had with each character made it very hard for me to put the book down. This book will truly change your perspective on third-world countries and the impact that a 35 second tragedy such as an earthquake can have on an all ready unstable nation.
About the Author
Dr. Rosemary Hanrahan Edwards knows how powerfully dreams can touch lives and bring people together, as they do in her first novel, When Dreams Touch. Her experience as a physician, involvement with international and public health non-profit organizations, and leadership in health, education and community development in Haiti are the inspiration of “When Dreams Touch.”
Rosemary started volunteering and working in developing countries, including Nepal, Botswana and Haiti, in 2001. Since then, she has touched the lives of many people through her tireless work and her life has been deeply touched by her many colleagues, friends and partners in the developing world.
Rosemary was the 2003 and 2006 recipient of the College of American Pathologists Foundation Humanitarian Grant Award for her medical laboratory work in Haiti. In 2007, she received the Delta Omega National Honor Society Award for Best Master’s Thesis in Public Health and the Outstanding Student Award for Academic Excellence from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.
The mother of two adult sons, Rosemary currently lives in Western Pennsylvania, where she practices medicine as an independent consultant for anatomic and clinical pathology practices. In addition to volunteering as a consultant in international healthcare and writing grants for non-profit organizations, she has been a board member of Vincentian Collaborative System (VCS) since 2010. VCS provides a continuum of senior services in the Western Pennsylvania region.
When she is not practicing her medical profession, Rosemary enjoys outdoor activities, travel, competing in triathlons and writing. When Dreams Touch is her first novel, which will be published under her pen name, Rosemary Hanrahan.
Find the author on the following sites…
Website Facebook Twitter Goodreads Amazon Author Page
In October, Rosemary will travel to Haiti, as a volunteer, with PA PS Team International, H3 Missions and Rotary international District 5330 to conduct cervical cancer screening and treatment for over 2000 Haitian women. Fifteen local Haitian doctors and nurses will also be trained so they can continue this critical screening effort.
As depicted with Adelaide’s story in When Dreams Touch, Haiti has one of the highest cervical cancer rates in the world and treatment is extremely limited. The average Haitian woman who dies of cervical cancer leaves behind five and eight orphaned children.
Your donation of $20 U.S. will cover the cost of a PAP smear and, if necessary, life-saving treatment for cervical cancer for one woman in Haiti.
To make this life-saving U.S tax- deductible donation, please go to: https://bit.ly/H3MissionsGFM1
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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
NOW FOR THE AUTHOR’S GIVEAWAY
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I am a stay-at-home- mom, living in KY with my husband and children. I’m a travel and lifestyle blogger encouraging folks to live their life one adventure at a time while also focusing on beauty, essential oils and health. From time to time I also like to showcase my adorable pets along with my family. Along with Cinnamon Hollow I can be found at The Martin Family Adventure … read more
Thank you for hosting When Dreams Touch today and Rachel’s review xx
You’re very welcome!
That does sound like it’s a very emotional read.
I agree!