“Ruchti’s best work yet.”–Publishers Weekly, starred reviewShe helps others manage their desperate lives–but who will help her?Clinical psychologist Camille Brooks isn’t put off by the lifestyle of her hoarding clients. After all, she lost her mother to the crippling anxiety disorder. She’ll go a long way to help others avoid the same pain and loss.Despite Camille’s expertise, her growing … Camille’s expertise, her growing audience for her Let in the Light podcast, and the national recognition she’s gaining for her creative coaching methods, there are some things she isn’t prepared for. A client who looks far too much like her mom catches her off guard. And the revelation that she’s also hoarding something sends her spinning.
Can she stand to let the light into her own life with the help of a friend who wants to stand by her for life and the God who created and loves her? Or will she find that defeating her demons proves too much to bear?
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Relevant and provocative. We can each learn something about ourselves through the characters in Afraid of the Light.
Award-winning author Cynthia Ruchti’s storytelling captured my heart from the first pages of Afraid of the Light. A gifted wordsmith, she’s crafted yet another story that keeps readers turning pages as they fall in love with her true-to-life characters. Exploring complicated relationships with realism and sensitivity is what Ruchti does best.
People toss the word hoarder around in meaningless ways. But it wasn’t until I read Afraid of the Light that I even had a glimpse of the incredible challenges that those who hoard face.
Ruchti created wonderful characters whose interactions with one another kept me turning the pages. I loved Cam, especially the juxtaposition between her past and her current life. She knew how to respond to her clients in ways that made them feel seen and heard. And Eli–adored him. My heart ached for Chester and Allison, two of Camille’s clients, and they made me cry.
Ruchti wrote some truly heartbreaking scenes, but she also rounded out the story with wonderful dashes of humor. I didn’t feel like this was a depressing book at all despite the subject matter, but instead, it offered hope…and Light. Even though this is fiction, the Truth she wove within the story spoke to my heart.
I highly recommend this story, and I look forward to reading more of Ruchti’s work.
I just finished “Afraid of the Light”- a contemporary novel, that taught me some interesting, yet disturbing facts. But it was an out of the ballpark 5 star read for me. It was a totally satisfying novel. Often when I read, I wince at parts of a story that seem unnecessary or too much fluff. This story fell into the wonderful category of 5 star perfect, no wincing, no disappointment, no fluff. I liked that there were not too many characters, and those main people became disclosed layer by layer. Making it a bit like a mystery. All time favorites Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre- some might call those novels romances. But they are character driven, observations of behavior. That’s why Cynthia Ruchti’s character driven novel just made a perfect gift for me. It is the story of a troubled clinical psychologist and some of her clients that are hoarders. Her rescue comes from a man driving a garbage truck. Yep- a character driven contemporary mystery-romance that satisfied. Thanks, Cynthia Ruchti for touches of humor with a serious subject, no fluff, and valuable truth woven into this story.
I always read Ruchti’s books. Her’s are the best.
This is the the best book I have read this year! It is incredibly well-written. The topic is fascinating; I loved the insights into the psychology of hoarding and seeing how it impacts the lives of both the hoarders and their families. The characters are so real and flawed. You can’t help loving and rooting for them (and maybe even find yourself starting to pray for them, haha).
This book is full of so many layers. We see how people struggle with hoarding things other than possessions. It definitely made me examine myself. And don’t get me started on all the amazing analogies in this book!
This book is thought-provoking and encouraging. Although so many struggles are portrayed, we are left with an overwhelming sense of hope. We are pointed to The Light – Jesus Christ.
We need more stories about characters who wrestle with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses. Especially in Christian fiction. We need to understand more about mental illness, and know how to come alongside families who struggle with it, and overcome the stigma associated with it. Thus, “Afraid of the Light” plays an important role.
It’s one thing for clinical psychologist Camille Brooks to help hoarders. It’s another thing entirely to face her own demons. Which explains why her assistant Eli Rand alarms her by asking what she is hoarding.
As the author so aptly shows us through her characters’ actions, darkness hides and mimics and distorts. Only light tells the truth. Truth that Camille doesn’t want to face. Like her clients who keep the drapes closed.
Eli is trying to break into her heart the way Cam tries to break down barriers of clients. It’s not just Eli’s questions that haunt her. Her client Allison Chase bears an uncanny resemblance to Camille’s mother. Camille grew up in a home surrounded by the stuff her mother hoarded.
In some way, Camille is aiming for a re-do. She was helpless to stop the disastrous course her mother took, but maybe Camille can help other families overcome and heal. But as Camille goes deeper into her clients’ lives and decisions, Eli presses her to go deeper into her own.
Tidbits of wisdom and musings pepper the story. Besides Camille’s careful approach to her clients, Ruchti’s poetic analogies show sensitivity to issues that many people shrug off as “crazy.” This book is definitely a stepping stone to empathy.
This book pulls back the curtain on hoarding. It’s fascinating, harrowing and heartfelt. I loved it! The emotional depth is off the charters.
Captivating. Intriguing. Significant. In this page-turner, Cynthia Ruchti once again pulls her readers into a novel that is engaging and entertaining but also filled with personal application for all who engage in this fascinating narrative. You won’t be able to put this book down.
Afraid of the Light holds surprising moments of laughter brilliantly timed to enhance rather than interfere with the moving, weighty themes of this unforgettable story. Cynthia Ruchti delivers it all in this masterful, compassionate tale of redemption. Keeping this one on my read-it-again-and-again shelf for sure.
Who knew that a novel about hoarding could hold both quirky romance and redemptive healing in equal measure? Hoarding is a deeply painful and multifaceted disorder, yet favorite author Cynthia Ruchti brings great compassion and finesse to the issue in Afraid of the Light. I entered a whole new world as I eagerly devoured the story of Camille and Eli reaching out in different ways (and for different reasons) to those trapped in the prison of their own accumulations. Ruchti’s extensive research gave me greater insight and empathy, and the love story is clever and utterly endearing. Ruchti is such a grand storyteller, reminding us all that there truly can be complete (albeit slow) transformation through the healing power of Jesus ― the only source of Light.
I anxiously await every one of Cynthia Ruchti’s hemmed-in-hope novels. With wit, winsomeness, and wisdom she stitches together characters who could live in my real-world circles ― folks with longings that resonate with my own heart.
She’s done it again! Cynthia Ruchti is a captivating wordsmith with a talent for telling poignant stories that wrap around your heart, mind, and life in a way that makes you a better person for picking up her books.
I’ve been wanting to read a Cynthia Ruchti book for years, but I’m not gonna lie — I was scared. So many people have commented on how they get “all the feels” from her books and her books touch on deep topics. I was afraid I might end up reading a melodramatic, tears-on-every-page story.
I’m so glad I ignored my fears and picked up this book — I loved it!
My favorites books, movies, and TV shows are the ones that make me laugh and cry. Afraid of the Light doesn’t shy away from the heartache of hoarding disorders, but neither does it beat you over the head with it. In fact, Eli (our hero) understands the heartache but still sees the humor and fun in life. That’s such a needed perspective (IMO) when you tackle the hard stuff.
There are definitely some weighty scenes in this book, but there’s also laughter and hope — a great combination. Now I’m REALLY looking forward to reading my next Cynthia Ruchti book.
Rated PG.
When I purchased this book I knew it was about hoarding but had no idea the depth of soul-stirring truth I would encounter. This author has masterfully tackled a sensitive topic and brought a deeper understanding of the motivations in the heart of a hoarder. Compassion grew in my heart for those who suffer with this mental illness, and for those who love them, and changed the way I think about people who deal with this paralyzing disorder.
If you enjoy reading stories filled with hope and redemption amid real life issues, I recommend this read
Fabulous and revealing addictive habits through characters and personal plot. I could relate as we had a family member who was afraid of the light. A must read.
We have all become aware of hoarding via television programs. But we haven’t received much insight as to its causes and the affect it has on the hoarder’s family. This book is a sensitive portrayal of these truths. A very informative read. There is even romance involved! Quite possibly the best book I have read this year.
Five Stars! The author’s incredible writing skills weave the addiction of hoarding, finding love against all odds, and redemption together in masterful style. I gleaned great insight into the issue of hoarding, and this resulted in a new level of compassion for those afflicted with this terrible addiction.
After all, if you love a hoarder or are closely related to someone with the addiction of hoarding, it can be a complex, emotional battleground. You love them, but you are are embarrassed by their mental health issue, which is so glaringly obvious to everyone around them.
They often save countless useless items filling their homes with clutter to the point you can’t walk through or have a place to sit down, and you feel helpless and confused by their behavior. That is, until you read “Afraid of the Light” by Cynthia Ruchti, which is a fascinating, groundbreaking novel like no other.
This inspiring author also has a deep understanding of broken people and how trauma can be instrumental in creating mental health disorders. Yet she has an ability to offer hope like few other writers can in the midst of such a challenging topic. Favorite book of this year and so thankful I found it!
Cynthia Ruchti’s novel intriguingly shares characteristics of hoarders and techniques to help them overcome their addiction. Couched in this novel about a psychologist helping her clients is also a relationship with a helper who causes her to have a deeper understanding of her own issues–a counselor providing counsel for the psychologist. A budding romance, a sense of belonging, and a faith thread provide an encouraging ending.
I wish I had the words to say everything I learned from Cynthia Ruchti in “Afraid of the Light”. I read all the endorsements on her book and they are exactly what I would have said in my review. I guess I will just let them do the talking for me. Cynthia is always inspiring, always world-building, and always an intimate look at human nature. Can’t wait for the next one!