Book links:
Synopsis:
A moving and evocative exploration of grief and guilt in the wake of one family’s devastating loss.
When former DC journalist Abigail Wolff attempts to rehabilitate her career, she finds herself at the heart of a US army cover-up involving the death of a soldier in Afghanistan — with unspeakable emotional consequences for one family. As the story of what happened comes to light, Abigail will do anything to write it.
The more evidence she stumbles upon in the case, the fewer people it seems she can trust, including her own father, a retired army general. And she certainly never expected to fall in love with the slain soldier’s brother, Gabe, a bitter man struggling to hold his family together. The investigation eventually leads her to an impossible choice, one of unrelenting sacrifice to protect those she loves.
Beyond the buried truths and betrayals, questions of family loyalty and redemption, Abigail’s search is, most of all, a desperate grasp at carrying on and coping — and seeking hope in the impossible.
Guest Post:
I’ll admit, when I came up with the idea for The Ones We Trust—a story with a military bent—I was more than a little nervous about writing it. I didn’t grow up in a military family. I’ve never lived in a military town. The number of soldiers I have as friends can be counted on one hand. What did I know about war stories? And more importantly, could I do one any justice?
But the more I pieced together the story in my mind, the more I found it was about so much more than a war. The Ones We Trust is about a family’s struggle to cope and carry on after a loved one’s death. It’s about a woman’s fight for the truth. The real story happens when their lives intersect.
My main character, Abigail, is recovering from a tragedy in her own past, one that made her walk away from a career she loved. Someone died because of a story she wrote, and she still carries a lot of guilt and self-blame. When she first meets Gabe, she feels empathy for what he is going through, but she doesn’t want to get involved. His struggle, his fight for the truth, is something he must do on his own.
Yet the more she gets to know him, the more her feelings grow, and she finds herself becoming involved. Gabe’s family is desperate to know who shot his brother, and by now Abigail cares enough to want to give them closure, despite her father’s involvement in the cover up. Her background in journalism has instilled in her a deep-seated belief his family deserves to know the truth.
These days, the military angle is one that hits home for a lot of Americans. But war doesn’t just take place on a battlefield, and our soldiers aren’t the only heroes. What about the parents who send off their sons and daughters, the spouses and siblings and children left waiting at home? They are just as heroic and courageous, their sacrifices different, maybe, but just as great as the men and women fighting on the front lines. Above all, I tried to be respectful to all of them, not just the soldiers but also the people who love them.
Yes, the story hinges around what, exactly, happened to the soldier on the battlefield, but The Ones We Trust is really about the people left behind. It’s about summoning strength in the face of tragedy, about picking up the pieces and moving on, and about finding hope for the future.
Thank you so much for having me today on Read Love Blog! I hope everyone enjoys The Ones We Trust.
~Thanks so much for stopping by, Kimberly! -Jillian
About the author:
Kimberly Belle grew up in Eastern Tennessee, in a small town nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians. A graduate of Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, Kimberly lived for over a decade in the Netherlands and has worked in marketing and fundraising for various nonprofits. Her debut novel, THE LAST BREATH, was published by Harlequin MIRA in September 2014. She divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam.
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778317862
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23638956-the-ones-we-tru
Author’s website: http://www.kimberlybellebooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimberlyBelleBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimberlysbelle
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kimberlysbelle/
Author’s Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7778742.Kimberly_Belle
Follow the rest of the tour:
Tuesday, July 28th: Books a la Mode – author guest post
Wednesday, July 29th: Life is Story
Thursday, July 30th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Monday, August 3rd: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Tuesday, August 4th: Mom’s Small Victories
Thursday, August 6th: Kritter’s Ramblings
Friday, August 7th: Romancing the Book – review & interview
Monday, August 10th: Books and Spoons
Monday, August 10th: Just One More Chapter
Tuesday, August 11th: Jorie Loves a Story – author guest post
Wednesday, August 12th: Bibliotica
Friday, August 14th: From the TBR Pile – review and author Q&A
Monday, August 17th: Feminist Reflections
Wednesday, August 19th: Read Love Blog – author guest post
Thursday, August 20th: The World As I See It
Thanks for featuring Kimberly for the tour!