Saturday, June 17, 2017

"None So Blind" by Chautona Havig Booktour and Giveaway

 
None so blind FB Banner copy
Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book

nonesoblindcover
Book title: None So Blind
Author: Chautona Havig
Release date: September 29, 2013
Genre: Contemporary
Dani and Ella Weeks–two women who share one thing in common. The same life, the same family, and the same body.
When Dani wakes with no knowledge of who or where she is–no memories of her life at all–David and Dani Weeks discover that “til death do us part” takes on an entirely unexpected meaning. Practically speaking, Dani died. But she didn’t.
What’s a gal to do?
In a desperate attempt to separate the old life from the new, Dani insists on a new name, a twist of her old one–Ella.
Ella’s doctors can’t explain what happened. Her children can’t understand why she doesn’t know them. David, her husband, finds himself torn between admiration for the “new” version of his wife and missing the woman he’s known for over fifteen years.
Will Ella ever regain her memory? Why does their pastor suspect it’s one great hoax?

My Review:
Wow, is my first thought when I think of this book now that I have finished reading it. I loved it! Yes, while reading it I was thinking I want it to end a certain way but now that I have read the story to the end I think it had the perfect ending and I am anxiously awaiting book 2 in this series.

"None So Blind" by Chautona Havig is the first book in the (Sight Unseen) series and I literally read this book well into the midnight hours. 


I was thinking I want to wake up and not remember the parts about me that I don't like just like Dani Weeks and then be able to make myself into someone that people like.  But the more I think about it, I don't think I would like that  because not only does Ella not remember the things she doesn't like about Dani ( yes the characters in the story tells her what she was like in the past) she doesn't remember her children! How awful is that for Dani and the kids!   I know this is maybe just too much info in a review but I am thinking about my grandma before she died, she was forgetting things and names, but I prayed "Please don't let her forget me" and I will be forever grateful and thankful that she remembered me till the end!


I really thought it was interesting to consider the two points of view of rather Ella was still bound to David and her wedding vows because even though Dani had kinda of died ( not body wise but had no remembrance of saying them).  I know what my thoughts are considering this and would love having feedback on other readers thoughts considering this! 


I think I am going to say that my favorite character in this story is David, and that is because he supported both Dani and Ella.


I really didn't like Dani's parents,I was thinking Wow, we all know how Dani turned out to be the way she was.


I really feel sorry for Dani because she wasn't able to share her story and why she wasn't a likable person.


There is a mystery in the book and it is unsolved so I am hoping that the mystery is waiting to be unraveled in book two. 


"None So Blind" is definitely a five star book.


I was given a complimentary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit.  These opinions are my own.






About the Author
media-headshot-smChautona Havig lives and writes in California’s Mojave Desert with her husband and five of her nine children. Through her novels, she hopes to encourage Christians in their walk with Jesus.

Guest post from Chautona Havig

“Who are you, again?”
“I’m Joe’s, daughter. Vyonie.” My sister pointed to me. “This is Chautona.”
For some odd reason, the niece she spent the least amount of time with, Aunt Doris remembered—somewhat. But she didn’t remember Vyonie from what I could tell. She smiled at me, that amazing, sweet smile I’d never forget. She asked how I was. I always thought that Mrs. Sanderson—mother of John, Alicia, and Carl on the TV show, Little House on the Prairie—looked and sounded like Aunt Doris. Of course, that memory of me didn’t last. A minute or two later, she gave me a big smile and asked if she knew me.
It gave me a picture of what it must have been like for my character, Ella Weeks—to wake up every day with these children there—children who knew her, but she didn’t remember. The hurt she caused every time she had to struggle to admit she didn’t know something she probably should—again. So, I thought I’d ask her to tell us about it.
Ella: People often assume that the worst part of losing my memory are the memories that disappeared, too. But it’s not. A much as I’d love to remember my wedding day, my daughter’s first steps, my son’s first words, or that moment I realized I was pregnant with my third, those are blessings that I don’t think about often. No, what hurts most is seeing the pain in my children’s eyes when they need me to remember something and I can’t. For me, not remembering their first day of kindergarten is an inconvenience. For them, it’s a further reminder that if they didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t know them. That without them pushing themselves into my life, I wouldn’t care about them any more than any other human in my path. I do now, of course, but not at first. I hate that they heard David say once, “…she doesn’t know me. She doesn’t trust me. She doesn’t know our children. She tries, but she could walk out of our lives tomorrow and never miss us.”
Living so close to it every day, I missed those little bits of pain that I inflicted without meaning to, but when I went with our Bible study to a nursing home and visited with the residents, then I saw it. Women with tears running down their cheeks as loved ones patted their hands and tried to comfort. I heard one man offer to find a woman’s father. She squeezed him close and whispered, “It’s okay, Daddy. I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The man promised to try to find her father in the meantime.
Those people there—most of them didn’t realize they didn’t remember someone important. They didn’t struggle to remember this or that. Their dementia had gotten bad enough that their lives had gone from constant frustration to, by comparison, blissful oblivion.
And their families withered with each forgotten face, name, moment.
That’s what my “episode” did for my family. It caused them pain that just resurfaced every time something new happened. Pain that I didn’t know I inflicted. And since that visit, I have a greater compassion and awareness of just how amazing and powerful memories are.
I also have a greater appreciation for those beautiful words in Isaiah when the Lord promised… “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.”
You see, there’s a lifetime of the sins that Jesus died for buried somewhere in my brain—or, at least at one time there was. I know that those sins were in there, because the ones I committed yesterday are there today. The ones I’ve already confessed and been forgiven for—I beat myself up for the next morning. A week later. A month. But the Lord has wiped them clean. I just keep smearing them back out there again as if to say, “But You don’t get how BAD I was.” Yeah. The arrogance, right? Because an almighty, holy God can’t possibly understand how sinful a sinner that He had to DIE to save from those sins… is. The arrogance? That’s an understatement.
But all those years before that horrible morning… gone. Maybe I stole something. I don’t know. It was forgiven, wiped clean, and then wiped from my memory. I can’t rehash it with the Lord over and over. I can’t drag it back up like a wife who won’t let her husband forget the one time he forgot her birthday. I can’t use it as a whip to beat myself up with. And I think there’s something beautiful in that.
Do I wish I could stop hurting my family with my blank past? Of course. But am I also grateful for a living picture of the fresh start the Lord gives His people at salvation? Definitely. I hope I never take it for granted again.

Blog Stops

June 15: Genesis 5020
June 15: Lane Hill House
June 16: The Scribbler
June 18: Carpe Diem
June 19: Quiet Quilter
June 20: Mommynificent
June 22: Remembrancy
June 23: Pause for Tales
June 24: Bigreadersite
June 25: Lots of Helpers
June 28: Just Jo’Anne
June 28: Henry Happens

Giveaway

 bf3041c3-aba6-432d-bade-2a2bc46cd775To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away a grand prize that includes:
1 $25 Amazon Gift Card
1 Paperback Copy of None So Blind
1 Paperback Copy of Will Not See
1 Lampwork Necklace
1 Cool denim mini-backpack (to hold your stuff!)
1 Custom Travel Mug (with quote from book)
1 FREE eBook code to share with a friend!
Check out this cool video from Chautona: https://youtu.be/5K_cTjlg4S8
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/ba35

4 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed your interview. I love her books. Would love to read this one.

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  2. Deana Dick I think this one was my favorite book that she has written zoo far

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  3. Thank you for such a thought-provoking review. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it. This book used to be my own favorite, but then I wrote Not a Word, and well... now it's ALMOST my favorite. I'm quickly learning to love Vikki's story, too (the sequel)

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  4. This book sounds so intriguing. Thanks for this review.

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