Synopses & Reviews
How do you find love where love does not exist?From out of a barefoot boyhood among endless rows of olive trees, and a forbidden passion for a courageous Moroccan beauty, to a horrific struggle against tyranny in the war-torn streets of 1936 Granada, comes a story where love cannot exist without mercy . . . mercy one carries for ones whole life as a badge of honor . . . mercy and compassion passed down from generation to generation.
Diego Garcia is now the gentle patriarch in a sun-scorched village perched among the rolling hills and olive groves of Andalusia, Spain. Diego survived the bloody Spanish Civil War only at great cost, and his enduring wish is that he could have saved others. His granddaughter, the lovely Lupita, is the towns physician, whose competence is surpassed only by her compassion. Together they breathe new life into a mysterious American stranger, brutally beaten and robbed, suffering from amnesia, whose suppressed past is so scarred by his own malice and deceit that he dare not awakensave through the guiding grace of love.
Together, the three forge a new beginning and find redemption in trust, love, and acceptance of the past . . . a past they would do anything to leave behind.
Review
The Awakening is one of those rare books that tugs at your heart while intriguing the mind. The history of Spain in a time of unrelenting fascism and threat of war was a wonderful setting in which to reveal the goodness of simple people who carried their own, often complex, secrets. The country doctor opens her heart to the stranger and, in doing so, embraces a new world from whence her own fears are affirmed and accepted.
The Awakening is a merry, thought-provoking gem in the genre of
The Alchemist, but with a twist. It is an elegantly written novel of the human condition.” Torena ORorke, author of
Gemini Girl Murders and other Astrology Mysteries
The story is an intricately weaved narrative, exquisitely written, with characters that come alive in both their complexity and their humanity. The book flows seamlessly from past to present and from scene to scene. The author has the gentle touch of an artist and the clear voice of compassion.” Michael Pieracci, professor of humanities, Washington State University Tri-Cities
This is a story worth telling, which, along with the intrigue, has a useful message. . . . Its a fashion show of metaphors.” Allen D. Brecke, 2013 Tri-Citian of the Year and recipient of the American Red Cross Heart of Humanity award
About the Author
Allen Johnson holds an MA from the University of Washington in communication and a PhD from Washington State University in psychology. He is an international keynote speaker and consultant. His platform style tends to be humorous and dramatic. He served for several years as a contract presenter for FranklinCovey. Johnson is also a jazz instrumentalist, singer, entertainer, and actor.