An impossible decision in the chaos of D-Day. Ripples that cascade seventy-five years into the present. And two lives transformed by the tenuous resolve to reach out of the darkness toward fragments of light. Cancer stole everything from Ceelie–her peace of mind, her selfimage, perhaps even her twenty-three-year marriage to her college sweetheart, Nate. Without the support of Darlene, her quirky … support of Darlene, her quirky elderly friend, she may not have been able to endure so much loss.
So when Darlene’s own prognosis turns dire, Ceelie can’t refuse her seemingly impossible request–to find a WWII paratrooper named Cal, the father who disappeared when Darlene was an infant, leaving a lifetime of desolation in his wake.
The search that begins in the farmlands of Missouri eventually leads Ceelie to a small town in Normandy, where she uncovers the harrowing tale of the hero who dropped off-target into occupied France.
Alternating between Cal’s D-Day rescue by two French sisters and Ceelie’s present-day journey through trial and heartbreak, Fragments of Light explores a timeless question: When life becomes unbearable, will you surrender to the darkness or dare to press toward a lingering light?
Praise for Fragments of Light
“Michèle Phoenix skillfully explores the strength and resiliency of the human spirit but also its heartbreaking limits. Brimming with expertly researched wartime details, Fragments of Light abounds with poignancy and insight.” –Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Last Year of the War
“As a D-Day Airborne participant, I recommend this novel with enthusiasm. Everyone should read it.” –Staff Sergeant Thomas Rice, WWII Veteran, 101st Airborne
“Michele Phoenix’s Fragments of Light is a luminous portrait of men and women grappling with the past in a brave attempt to forge a different kind of future . . . A story as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. In short, I loved this book!” –Lauren Denton, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Hideaway
“Deeply personal and beautifully humane, Phoenix once again asserts her power as one of the most moving and lyrical voices in inspirational fiction.” –Rachel McMillan, author of The London Restoration
“Written with depth and understanding, this story offers readers a wonderful journey spanning from war-torn World War II France to a battle for love in our time.” –Katherine Reay, bestselling author of Dear Mr. Knightley
“As the title suggests, there are no easy illuminations on the path of healing. Cancer attacks more than the body. War destroys more than flesh and bone. Not all heroes welcome the attention, and not all husbands are up to the challenge. Women find the most unlikely sources of strength, and the best families defy definition.” –Allison Pittman, bestselling author of The Seamstress
“It’s not often a story moves me as Fragments of Light has. With a rare and honest voice, Michèle Phoenix weaves a story of heroes from yesteryear and also those from your neighborhood–each with hearts of valor–as they endure the fight of their lives.” –Elizabeth Byler Younts, Carol Award-winning author The Solace of Water
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If you are looking for a story that will suck you in and wring you out emotionally, look no further. In Fragments of Light, Michele Phoenix pulls no punches when it comes to ugly, difficult, draining, and disappointing moments in life.
And just when you grasp a little bit of hope, the author hits you again with another life-changing event.
Yet she does all of it in a way where you just cannot look away. No matter the pain, the heartache, the loss, or the grief, you keep turning pages, holding on to hope that somewhere along the way the tide will turn for these characters.
Ceelie and Darlene’s friendship was my favorite part of this. Everyone needs a Darlene who teaches you life lessons with a bit of flair and spunk thrown in. It’s easy to see the impact Darlene has made on Ceelie and the strength of the bond between these two women.
The parallels between the modern day story and the one set around D-Day are well constructed and natural, and again kept me turning pages to discover what happened to Hal right alongside Ceelie.
It’s been almost three years between Phoenix’s last release and this one, but this powerful and evocative story was more than worth the wait.
Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
I adore World War II novels. I have enjoyed a number of time-slip novels, so when I read the synopsis for Michele Phoenix’s World War II time-slip novel, I jumped on-board. Most time-slip novels that I have read are usually 50/50 of the past story and the present story. Phoenix story is not. It is about 80% the present, and 20% of the past. There was a huge moment in the past, and it took a long time to go back and see what actually happened. Phoenix stayed in the present for a long time before returning and showing readers what occurred. The main heroine had a huge dilemma or many dilemmas to overcome, and I felt bad for her, but I think Phoenix made the issues not that big of a deal. It drove the force of the story, but the heroine kept moving on without much reaction to them. I wanted to feel something for the heroine, but I didn’t feel it. Overall, Fragments of Light appeared to be missing parts of the plot and empathy for the readers to empathize with the characters. Not a book I would pick up again.
I received a complimentary copy of Fragments of Light by Michele Phoenix from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
It’s not often a story moves me as Fragments of Light has. With a rare and honest voice, Michèle Phoenix weaves a story of heroes from yesteryear and also those from your neighborhood — each with hearts of valor — as they endure the fight of their lives.
With depth of emotion and vivid images of a war-torn WWII world, Fragments of Light nails down the achingly real in a character’s journey, tackling both raw and poignant moments from a practiced pen. Michele Phoenix shines a spotlight on God’s chasm-crossing persistence to rebuild the shattered places of our lives — and the people He uses to do it — no matter how much time has passed between brokenness and the quest for healing. Readers will root for Ceelie and Nate long after they’ve turned the last page!
I have loved all of Michele Phoenix’s books, as they touch on deep topics with gentleness, humility, and enough wit and humor to make characters human. Fragments of Light is no exception. Fragments of Light is a wonderful, touching piece of work. This story connects the present day and World War Two in a congruent and seamless fashion. I loved the stories of Ceelie and Nate, their love story filled with humanity, patience, and pursuit. Darlene’s character brought a smile to my face every time she spoke. It took me a couple of chapters to get into the book, but then I couldn’t put it down and just had to find out what happened in the end. I cried. You may also find yourself connected to and love the characters of this touching story.
I highly recommend this book!
I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
This is a well written book that hooks you on the first page and doesn’t let go. It is full of emotions and will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. This is an outstanding book that you don’t want to miss! Thank you Thomas Nelson–FICTION via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
This dual timeline story is connected by one character, Cal a World War II Army paratrooper. The contemporary time line features two women of widely different ages who are both fighting cancer, Ceelie, a young married woman, and Darlene, an older lady, with whom Ceelie becomes close friends. The historic time line focuses on Cal who is being airlifted into France shortly before D-Day. The connection is that Cal is Darlene’s father whom she hasn’t seen since she was just a baby when he completely disappears from her and her mom’s life. As Darlene’s cancer strikes again, she has one poignant request. She wants Ceelie to help her discover what happened to Cal.
This story is so full of depth, pain, anguish, hope, love, heartache and forgiveness. The emotional gamut at times can be draining, yet it is well worth it to come out on the other side at the end. Both time lines will pull at your heartstrings. The contemporary line as both Ceelie and Darlene battle their cancers, and the repercussions that each must handle wrench your emotions especially if you or someone else has had cancer. But the strength of both these ladies was amazing and then throw into Darlene’s witty wisdom gems that kept both of them going when times got tough. The historical time line was so well researched and made me feel like I was right there in the middle of the chateau with Cal, Sabine, and Lise as they watched their lives swirl out of control.
This book bounced to the top of my 2020 favorites list. This was my first Michele Phoenix’ read, but it definitely will not be my last.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.
Choices and Relationships
This story was about courage, surviving, Friendship, and relationships. It was about the struggle of two women Cecelia and Darlene to beat cancer. When diagnosed they were with each other for treatment. Cecelia’s husband was with her through the whole treatment. When she was finished and rang the bell on the way home he simply tells her I’m Done. Nate, her husband, then moves out of the house.
While she is still recovering from her bout with Cancer her friend Darlene finds out her cancer has returned and is not treatable and she is now looking at life’s end. Before Darlene dies she wants to do one thing, find out about the father that abandoned her when she was 18 months old after he returned from WWII.
Since Cecelia is the editor of a newspaper Darlene wants her to use her Journalism skills and contacts to find her father or what happened to him. In the meantime Nate says he made a mistake and wants to stop the divorce.
The friends search for Darlene’s father which brings in the story in WWII as to what happened. They go on one last road trip where Darlene becomes ill and ends up in the hospital and calls Nate to talk to him.
The second story contained within this story is that of Darlene’s father Cal during WWII. Two young girls in a castle, German Soldiers, Cal and his friend Buck.
The story is about courage, heartbreak, tragedy, forgiveness, friendship, love and survival. It is about war and about war on Cancer. It is about the patient with cancer and the caregiver.
This story was sad and happy, and exciting at times. I couldn’t wait to guess the secret of what happened to Darlene’s father and would have never guessed the ending.
This was a good book, I loved the story, the characters, and the writing. I would recommend this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.”
Thanks to Michele Phoenix, Thomas Nelson Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of the book in return for an honest review.
“‘History’s stains illuminate the future,’” Or, as I see it, our tragedies shed light on the path ahead, urging us to learn from them. Make us better people. What kind of legacy will we leave? This story is about bravery — confrontation with the enemy. This enemy has many faces: cancer, war, a betrayal or a loss. Michele Phoenix’s latest, a time-slip novel based on a true event in WW2, reveals all four as she weaves past events with present circumstances of best friends bonded by a cancer diagnosis. They each deal with betrayal and resentment of their own – one, a father lost in the past, the other, a spouse who wants out. ”The opposite of courage isn’t fear — it’s resentment.” the author points out. With riveting scenes and moving dialogue and characterization, the author has brought this era to light with its many shades of emotion.
Phoenix is an author who always challenges and inspires. In her latest entry, “Fragments of Light,” main character Ceelie is facing cancer, which challenges her view of everything she holds dear–even her over 20 year marriage to Nate. As Ceelie begins to process the many changes in her comfortable life, she’s thrust into a WWII mystery by her cancer buddy, Darlene, who is also facing another recurrence of the disease herself.
Darlene enlists Ceelie to help her find Cal, the lost father she only remembers in photographs. She knows he was a paratrooper and that he spent a few years with her mother, but Darlene knows little else but the sting of growing up not knowing the man her mother once loved.
Ceelie finds herself combing the back roads of Missouri and the shores of Normandy with the spicy Darlene by her side. Her boss at the newspaper has given her a week to craft a story that readers will invest in, and Ceelie will have a chance to help Darlene set the record straight about her absent father. All the while, Nate is attempting to do something he didn’t always do–to tell Ceelie the truth and open up about his feelings.
Together they sift through memories, rumors and finally, the truth that will shine a light on all the assumptions they carry. Should Ceelie give Nate another chance? Will Darlene find the answers she needs before cancer claims her? In this beautiful, heart-wrenching novel of difficult choices, both Ceelie and Darlene face the same question: How do you leave the past behind to work towards a brighter future?
Phoenix is a master at creating relatable characters who are overcomers. I also love the fact that she has traveled to and experienced many of the actual historical places mentioned in the book, as she traveled to Normandy to help with a documentary, which ultimately inspired “Fragments of Light.” If you’re looking for an introspective time slip novel with people and places that will embed themselves in your heart, “Fragments of Light” is for you.
Magnificent! What a wonderful, poignant book. This story crosses three genres. Historical, Christian and Domestic Fiction. They are some of my favorites, especially Historical Fiction.
When you read this book you will learn about the devastation at Normandy Beach on D-Day both physical and mental. You’ll learn about breast cancer and it’s emotional and physical devastation on the patient, their caretakers and relationships. You will learn how holding in feelings of anger and disappointment in ourselves and others has a profound effect on our lives. The fragments of light shining on all of the devastation is beautiful.
The characters in this book are ones that you will root for, cry for and love to the very end and beyond. When I finished this book, I was speechless. I had to wait a bit to write this review because I just didn’t think I could do it justice and I still am not sure I can get across how much I loved this book. Can I give it 10 stars out of five? I think Fragments of Light is fabulous.
I did a little research on Michele Phoenix and discovered why this book is so heartfelt. The cancer struggle is so raw and the love is so real and honest. Michele is a cancer survivor and knows the struggle intimately. Prayers for Michele’s continued health. We need more of her wonderful books.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review. Thank you!
This is an unpublished draft. “I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.”
I received a free electronic ARC of this novel from Netgalley, Michele Phoenix, and Thoms Nelson-Women’s Fiction. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend this author to friends and family. Michele Phoenix writes a tight, intriguing story with personable protagonists and she paints a background you can close your eyes and envision. I have added her to my must-read-authors list.
This story takes place in Winfield, Illinois, USA, and Aubry-en-Douve, France, and follows two timelines – in June of 1944, and in the present day. This author chose different fonts for each timeline, which added a great deal of clarity to the tale. Our primary protagonists in the present day are Cecelia Donovan, undergoing breast cancer surgeries and chemo, with her husband of 24 years, Nate. And you are gonna love Darlene Egerton, two-time cancer survivor, the older lady who helps Cece work through her travails and keeps her focused on survival. Even after Darlene is diagnosed with her third bout with cancer, now inoperable, metastasized in her lungs, bones, and possibly also in her brain she is there for Cece. And it is through Darlene that we are tied into the past, onto Utah Beach in northern France just in time for D-Day.
Our French connection is with two orphaned sisters, Sabine who is about 14, and Lise, about 8 years old. The girls are able to help an American paratrooper who is injured and lost when his jump time is unavoidably delayed. They bring him to their home, a small, very old, a bit derelict castle just off of Utah Beach, where many people from the surrounding areas are staying, also seeking sanctuary in a world at war. The soldier, Callum Ian McElway, is a married American GI who would like to get this war over with so he can go home and meet his new daughter.
And then we have D-Day. None of the Allied objectives were met in the beginning. Allied casualties on day 1 were about 10,000. German casualties were estimated from between 4,000 and 9.000. Between the weather and bad luck, it was several days before allied troops held the five Normandy beaches and could begin their move inland to free France from German control. A lot can happen in just a few days. Lives – worlds can rise or fail. Can, and do.
pub date July 14, 2020
So many emotions and feelings are felt throughout this whole book! The reader will laugh, cry and even, dare I say, almost feel hatred and resentment towards some of the characters. However, they are all so real and could be any one of us!
The way Michele Phoenix takes the reader back in history and yet makes it relevant to today, is mesmerizing!
A beautiful work! Thank you, Michele, for sharing your amazing talent with us all once again!
I was an early reader, thanks to Thomas Nelson. All opinions are my own.
The author as gifted us with a story that will have you page turning for answers. I felt as if I was ducking from the flack being shot at the paratroopers, and gingerly walking on floors that are about to collapse, and all the while searching for answers.
We are mainly with two woman both fighting the Big “C”. and a beautiful friendship evolves between these two.
Because of this friendship we journey from present day to “D” in France, and back again. Keep turning the pages as answers to come, maybe not how you want them, but this is a fact of war.
A read that will linger, and full of emotions from one range to another, but mainly “Love”.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.
4.25/5
This was my 2nd book from this author, and I’ve enjoyed both very much.
Ceelie, a middle-aged woman meets 76 yo high-spirited Darlene as they are both battling cancer, one more successfully than the other. Darlene, who has lived with the bitterness of a desertion by her WWII vet father Cal, asks Ceelie to help her solve the mystery of his disappearance.
The story is told in dual timelines (present/WWII), and is a poignant story of love, duty, sacrifice, and heroism. It’s also a beautifully written story about a marriage facing a crisis from two different perspectives, about a loving friendship and about the healing power of forgiveness.
Nicely done.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #ThomasNelson for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
An emotional yet uplifting journey:
What an amazing book. It was poignant, thought provoking, tragic and heartbreaking; yet there was humour and healing too. I loved how it showed it is possible to be brave in the face of adversity and to persevere through trials
The power of friendships was a major theme and it was wonderful seeing Ceelie and Darlene support and care for one another. I thought the author did an amazing job of highlighting the strains and terrible ramifications cancer can have, not only on the individual but on their caregivers and families too.
I enjoyed the dual timelines and the way the author made us wait for further information was just wicked at times! It was fun journeying with them as they sought to uncover the mystery surrounding what happened to Darlene’s father during the war and then in the years to follow.
Overall a fabulous book full of depth that is sure to stay with you for a long time.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
A beautiful book that tackled some sad and emotional issues with love shining through each character. I really liked Darlenes character and her wit and attitude even through her rough journey. I enjoyed the back story from the paratrooper and how the ending wrapped up his story. Very good read.
I chose Fragments of Light because I was intrigued by the synopsis. How could an MIA soldier bring closure to a lifetime of heartache, who was Ceelie, and what had cancer stolen from her?
Typically, I enjoy the historical portions of split-time novels the most, but I didn’t feel the same bias as I read this story. While I thought Nate’s pronouncement on the day Ceelie rang the bell to signal the end of her cancer treatments was egregious, I held out hope that their twenty-three-year marriage would endure the storm. The other aspect of the modern-day storyline that I loved was the friendship between Darlene and Ceelie. Every woman needs a gnome collecting, purple car driving, cotton-candy haired older woman to tell it to her straight! As for the historical timeline, readers who enjoy an unfolding mystery rife with history will not be disappointed.
In order to fully appreciate this story, you have to be willing to wade through some deep emotional waters before you can pass safely to the other side. This is especially true if you know someone who is fighting cancer. Can anyone say their life has been unaffected by cancer? Even if the diagnosis was not your own, you’ve likely prayed or cared for someone who has undergone treatment. Perhaps you’ve even lost someone dear to you, as have I. The prevalence of cancer, as well as the toll it takes on families and friends, will drive the experiences these characters endure home for many readers. Understanding that Phoenix is a three-time cancer survivor herself will further illuminate how she was able to convey their hopes and fears in such a palpable way.
The book’s themes of regret, resentment, and forgiveness—leading to restoration— make it well worth your investment of time. I’ve read 56 books so far this year and Fragments of Light distinguishes itself a standout title! It earns a “2020 Book Club Top Pick” from me.
I received this book from the publisher through the NetGalley review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”