Joy Comes in the Morning
Book Club Picks

Can you imagine having your loving husband go to war and then have him come back to turn into an abuser? Libby Prescott lived through it. Her life before the Civil War was one of happiness with her husband; but after he returned wounded, that all changed. He became addicted to morphine and alcohol in order to numb the pain in his leg. He also became very violent towards his wife. Libby knew that her husband would hurt her when he ran out of his numbing agents one night, so she wound up leaving in search of refuge at her father's house. However, after that didn't work out as planned, she fled. As she ran for her life, she was severely beaten and lost her memory.

A complete stranger found Libby and his family took her in to nurse her back to health. Libby struggled daily, trying to remember who she was, where she came from, and how she got to them. The Chamber family became her safe haven and she became their friend. With all of the people in this house trying to help her, will she remember anything? Many lessons are learned by both Libby and the Chambers family.

Book Club Choices: Joy Comes in the Morning Opinion

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was intriguing and hopeful; abundant in faith and love. Each of the characters had such an important role in this book. As it is a Christian book, it does incorporate some Scripture verses, but they are inspirational and fit well with the story.

I don't usually read historical novels, but Joy Comes in the Morning was not a dry, dull history lesson. I loved it. Book clubs will enjoy this one. Christian book clubs will delight in the hope it brings and others will too. I can't wait to read Joyce's next book.

Discussion Questions

1. The Chambers family took Libby in and nursed her back to health without even a concern about any dangers it could cause. Do you think this was wise? Would you be able to truly help out a complete stranger?
2. Justin and Susanne's relationship was such a mismatch. Why do you think that Justin stayed with her?
3. What did you think of this book as a historical Christian romance novel? Did it satisfy all aspects of each genre for you?

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