“ ‘We are all broken, Cohen. We are all reeling from the things that have been done to us in the past or from the things we have done. We have all killed, all destroyed, all hated. There is nothing new in what you have done or what you are remembering, nothing new under the sun. This is confession: remembering and bringing something into the light so that it can be seen, held, and let go of, into the silence.’ ”
Shawn Smucker once again delivers an incredible novel with “Light from Distant Stars,” a novel filled with family dynamics, overcoming brokenness and fighting the evil within us all.
Told in six parts, taking place over six days, “Light from Distance Stars” tells the story of Cohen Marah over two different timelines — present day when he has just stepped over the dying body of his father, and the 1980s, when as a child he fights the ultimate battle of good versus evil.
As his father lies dying in the hospital after a horrific accident, Cohen reminisces all the times he has failed his father, and his father has failed him. He recalls the event that led to his parents’ divorce and his father’s career change from pastor to funeral director; his childhood friend Ava and their joint love of baseball; and the two mysterious children Than and Hippie he meets and with whom he takes on The Beast.
As Cohen struggles with guilt over his past actions, he must learn to find forgiveness — both for himself and his father — and to overcome his lack of self-worth.
Smucker brings both timelines to shocking ends, ones the reader won’t see coming.
“Light from Distant Stars” is a supernatural thriller that is also filled with emotional and family issues, as well as deals with the concept of confession. It contains many incredible themes, like how hope can be lost and found, given and taken; trusting when God goes silent; rediscovering a belief in God; “We are all broken. Hope remains. There is a Mender”; defeating the evil beast in us all; and familial relationships, especially between fathers and sons, and how they can be built up or broken down.
Light and shadow are a constant piece of imagery weaving throughout this story — whether it’s the light reflecting off Cohen’s father’s bald head, or the street lights flickering on, or the fact that a star could have died before its light even reaches us here on Earth.
Smucker is a beautifully descriptive writer. For example: “Her eyes are so close. Inside of them he sees another universe, stars being born and dying, galaxies revolving, light moving from one end of everything that exists to the other, lonely comets streaking icy paths through empty space.”
Fans of authors like Billy Coffey and Craig Parshall or novels like Laura Gallier’s “The Delusions” will love this story.
Five stars out of five.
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.