eBook Review: The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside by Jessica Ryn

The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside written by Jessica Ryan and published by Harper Collins follows the trials and tribulations of the protagonist, no actually hero, Dawn Brightside. Miss Brightside, is a 40 something, former nurse, who navigates the ruthless and uncaring world of life from the point of view of someone who is homeless. The book is simply extraordinary! I’m not sure that I have cried, laughed and railed in equal measure at the events in an eBook as much as I did when I was reading this. After spending yet another night in a park, Dawn is given the life-line of a place in  St Jude’s homeless shelter in a picturesque location in Devon, where she is anchored by the brave and kind-hearted staff. What they don’t realise is that as Dawn searches for a place that she can finally call home, the staff need Dawn as much as she needs them.

What I thought of the eBook

I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t sure what I thought of Dawn Brightside at first. She’s presented clearly as a character in need, who is quirky. I couldn’t decide if she was going to irritate me or whether I was going to be interested in her enough to read on. How wrong I was. The book is written with a focus on her point of view. This means that a true picture of the events which shaped her present are cleverly concealed from the reader until the end. It completely replicates the way that she hides the truth from herself throughout her life. At first I wondered if that was because she was so fantastical in her outlook that her head was stuck in the clouds rather than reality and that’s how she got into the situation she was in. However, the devastating thing is, that she does this to protect herself. Being stuck in one of the alternate realities she weaves in her stories, is ultimately far better and less painful than the truth. As the story unfolds though, she realises that she can’t hide forever.

The narrative flicks between Dawn’s then and now. This structure is very effective in revealing tit bits of Dawn’s former life so that you begin to piece together why she’s in the situation that she is. It with-holds some key parts though which makes you jump to all kinds of conclusions about our main character, some not always seeing her in the most positive light. However, in the ‘Now’ chapters, you see the reality that Dawn is faced with and you begin to root for her in every way. When you add in to the mix Grace and Pete, the two main workers at the refuge, you won’t want to put the book down. Grace and Pete both have their own stories to tell and when St Jude’s is faced with forced closure, it seems they are set to battle with their biggest challenges and demons yet. This book is tragic and full of hope at the same time. It will make you laugh and it will definitely make you cry! Jessica Ryan captures homelessness, its challenges and the prejudice it’s faced with in such a moving way. I’m not sure if it was her intention, but she absolutely champions the cause of people who are homeless. It certainly made me want to go out and do more to help as this fictional hero definitely shines her light brightly on those around her.

How much is the eBook and how can you buy it?