All Through the Night by Tara Johnson + q&a

Hello, reader friends! We are celebrating the release of All Through the Night by Tara Johnson with a quick visit, my review, and a giveaway! 

 

q&a

Share five of your favorites.

T: Favorite indoor activity – Playing board games or cards with my kids. Our current favorite is Exploding Kittens but we are always up for new ones. Our game collection is huge.

Favorite dessert – Strawberry pie. ‘Nuff said.

Favorite scripture – Psalm 139. God has used this psalm to comfort me through some of the darkest chapters of my own story.

Favorite character type – I love humorous secondary characters. They lend so much charm, charisma, and wisdom to a story. They usually bring an opportunity for the reader to take a breath but also give the main character a chance to reflect on some sage advice . . . even if it’s delivered in a comical manner. I relate to this character because I’m a bit this way myself! Laughter is great medicine but it also speaks truth.

Favorite bookish memory – When I was a pre-teen, I would curl up in my bed with a bowl of cheddar popcorn and devour Mandie books and the Anne of Green Gables series. I would get totally lost in those magical worlds.

B: A childhood spent reading books is a childhood well spent in my opinion! 

What is your favorite activity or hobby not related to books?

T: I’m an avid basketball nerd. If I see a basketball, my fingers start itching to play. And I’m one of those annoying screamers at the games.

B: You are significantly taller than me, I’m sure that comes in handy for basketball!

Share your inspiration behind All Through the Night.

T: The character of Cadence Piper was inspired by real-life Civil War nurse Elida B. Rumsey. Elida desperately wanted to serve as a nurse in the war but was denied by Dorothea Dix because of her young age and beauty. Elida found another way in… by singing to the wounded soldiers. She quickly found herself being called upon to help boost their sagging spirits. In time, she was called to nurse at the battlefield. She was the first person to ever sing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

Joshua Ivy was created completely from my imagination but was inspired by the heroic abolitionists of the time. Many sacrificed everything for the cause, but even the bravest were not always completely pure in their motivations. While Joshua knows he is doing the right thing, however dangerous, he also uses the cause as a mask to hide his own wounds and insecurities.

All Through the Night is a weaving of real events, including an evil secret society, with fictional characters, all of whom are grappling with spiritual struggles… the need to be accepted and loved.

B: I was fascinated by your author’s note at the end of the book! Thank you for honoring these brave folks with your stories.

What book(s) are you reading right now?

T: I’m reading The Rancher’s Legacy by Susan Page Davis for endorsement. I’m a quarter of the way in and loving it. Next up is The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan.

B: Oooo! Author perks! These both look wonderful!

What is your next release and/or what are you working on now?

T: I just finished a middle-grade story about a precocious preacher’s kid named Sarah Grace. It was a delight to write! I’m currently writing two stories. One is based on the life of Dr. Mary Walker, a surgeon during the Civil War and the only woman ever to receive the Medal of Honor. The second story is about a girl with traumatic mutism who is part of the Irish slave trade during the 1800s.

B: I’m super intrigued by your second work-in-progress! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with us, Tara! 

 

 

my thoughts

Is it just me or is it increasingly tempting to overlook a story set during painfully divisive periods in favor of more lighthearted reads? For me, after yet another year of political and social division and strife, purposefully reading historical fiction is even more of a personal mission to learn from the past than ever before.

This story is so much more than meets the eye! All Through the Night explores not only the preconceived notions ascribed to a variety of people groups (people with speech impediments, emancipated people in the North, people who have experienced homelessness, wounded veterans, etc.) but this story also tackles the inner struggles and outer abuses many of these individuals suffered daily.

This story vividly (yet tastefully) portrays medical intervention and advancements applied during the Civil War.  However, it is Cadence and Joshua’s individual journeys towards embracing their own worth in Christ and using their gifts to serve others that make this book exactly what the world needs now. I highly recommend this inspiring and fascinating story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. Additionally, as a co-owner of JustRead Publicity Tours, LLC, I received compensation from the publisher and/or author to coordinate a promotional tour for this title. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

giveaway

Thanks to the generosity of the publisher, one fortunate Faithfully Bookish reader friend will win a print copy of All Through the Night by Tara Johnson.

US only | ends 02/04/21 | giveaway policy

enter giveaway here
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Are you a fan of stories set in the Civil War era, reader friends?!
Be sure to add All Through the Night by Tara Johnson to your tbr!