Hurt. Pain. Loss. Survival. Hope. Inspiration. Second Chances. Love.
Wow! I’m not sure why, but I had some crazy, pre-conceived notion that Alice Ward’s The Cabin would just be a light and easy read about a gruff mountain man and the woman who rescues him from a “life of loneliness.” Let’s just go ahead and throw that thought right out of the window because I was so wrong. This story is about much more than that. Both Zoe Meadows and Gray Maddox suffer from terrible events that turn their lives upside down and cause them to retreat within themselves.
Gray’s devastating loss a few years ago forces him to hole up in his cabin in the mountains. Zoe, running from her own problems, moves into the cabin distances away from Gray’s. He becomes instantly captivated by her, and it isn’t just because of her beauty. He feels connected to Zoe by the hurt and suffering that seems to mirror his own. He could “almost feel pain vibrate from her.” This “something deeper” connection is what draws Gray closer to Zoe without even having met her yet.
“Back when I was first alerted to a stranger’s arrival a month and a half ago, she didn’t smile at all. That was what intrigued me the most about her. Why I continued to watch her. Even worry about her. I needed to know that she would be all right.”
What really melts my heart is the way in which Gray thinks of Zoe as his “goddess.” Even after finally meeting her and learning her name, he still sees her that way. “He stood and lifted a hand, pushing a piece of hair back from my face. ‘Goddess,’ he murmured as his fingers moved into the long strands, his fingers gripping the back of my head.” In his eyes, his dreams, his heart, his mind—everywhere—Zoe is simply his “goddess.” *Le Sigh*
Not only did I love The Cabin because of the romance and happily ever after, but I came away from this story feeling inspired. Alice Ward tackles some brutally serious, emotional, and painful issues, but she does it so beautifully. I absolutely love the different inspirational quotes scattered throughout the story.
There’s a very powerful message here for so many who have kept silent (or keep) silent because they feel worthless, ashamed, and guilty for something that was beyond their control and not their fault. Alice Ward writes: “Shame was a prison. Guilt my guard. My deep self-loathing the hook which held the key to my freedom.” My wish is for others to have the opportunity to read this book and find some healing, or at least find the path to healing within this author’s words. I hope that many will come to understand that the only person (or people) who should be ashamed is the one (or ones) who caused the hurt in the first place.