Promises of Tomorrow

Shelley Shepard Gray

Jul 2020 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

From Shelley Shepard Gray, New York Times bestselling author and the “skilled storyteller who reminds the reader through her characters that faith can help us survive the ups and downs in life” (RT Book Reviews) comes a warm-hearted and charming enovella.

Two years have passed since their friend Andy’s death, and the Eight is still struggling to cope with their loss. In an attempt to give the group some time to reconnect with one another, remember their friend, and reflect on the last two years, Marie decides that a relaxing couple’s getaway is just what they need before the craziness of the holiday season begins. When their large cabin in the woods turns out to be more rundown than rustic, though, Marie fears that she’s ruined everything, but at least, she thinks, the trip can’t get any worse—that is, until a lost English girl named Beth appears at the cabin. And with such heavy snow, the Eight is forced to take her in for the next twenty-four hours.

Although Marie feels as if all her planning and good intentions were for nothing, she has no idea that Beth will give the group a gift they didn’t know they needed: the reminder that life may not always be fair and sometimes it’s painful, but there’s always another day.

With Shelley Shepard Gray’s signature “thought-provoking, emotional” (Patricia Davids, USA TODAY bestselling author) prose, Promises of Tomorrow is a moving story of love, friendship, and faith.

Ratings and reviews

Promises of Tomorrow by Shelley Shepard Gray is a novella that is #4.5 in The Walnut Creek Series. I thought Promises of Tomorrow was well-written with steady pacing and developed characters. It is best that this series be read in order otherwise you will be lost plus it will spoil the previous books for you. The story begins with Mr. & Mrs. Warner having their annual “It’s December!” holiday party where it is Marie’s turn to share a tale about Andy. This side story is told in small parts before each chapter. I like how it had me laughing as it unfolded. The Eight which has changed since the series began, all meet to share a couple’s retreat weekend before the holidays begin. They encounter Beth Trainor who also rented a nearby cabin, but she became lost while walking. Because of the heavy snowfall and approaching nightfall, the group gets Beth to agree to stay with them overnight. It turns out to be what the group and Beth needed. They get a chance to help a woman in need which in turns helps them as well. The main themes in Promises of Tomorrow are grief and hope. I like how the group of friends lift each other up. There are two phrases from Promises of Tomorrow that I wanted to share. “Everything was easier with friends” is the first one. The second phrase was provided by Beth when she said, “That there is always, always the promise of tomorrow.” In this novella, we see that God puts us where we need to be when we need to be there. Promises of Tomorrow is an uplifting and inspiring story.

About the author

A practicing Lutheran, Shelley Shepard Gray is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than one hundred novels, translated into multiple languages. In her years of researching the Amish community, she depends on her Amish friends for gossip, advice, and cinnamon rolls. She lives in Colorado with her family and writes full time.