John and Sally Ross deal with a wayward son and noisy relative during the Christmas holidays.
John and Sally Ross navigate unchartered territory when they discover that their son, Brody, has some serious problems.
As they try to help their son, they get a surprise visit from Sally's mother during the Christmas holidays that complicate matters.
And their daughter, Chloe, and granddaughter Whitney drop in as well in what turns out to be a not-so-merry holidays.
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Reviews for "Darkness Beyond the Light"
Reviewed by Michael Hartnett
3/12/2018
A Powerful Novel of the Opioid Age
Darkness beyond the Light by Michael Embry is a powerfully realistic story of an aging couple who must confront the addiction of their son, the myriad challenges of a dyspeptic 90-year-old mother/mother-in-law, and their own personal deteriorations. Their son Brody’s opioid addiction might initially capture the reader’s attention, especially with that epidemic currently coursing through the country. However, the rich interior (and exterior) lives of retirees John and Sally Ross give Darkness beyond the Light a sensibility that is easily identifiable, yet infused with gravitas.
The novel opens with John’s dealing with the aches and pains of growing old and continually presents hints that Sally’s forgetfulness is tumbling rapidly toward senility. But these problems are minor, nagging challenges compared to what they have to confront with Brody’s deceitful descent and Grandma Geraldine’s unbearably caustic demeanor. While Brody shows glimmers of kindness, especially to the elderly neighbor Georgiana, the trials and tribulations of his addiction are revelatory in its impact on the rest of the family. The least broken of the lot, John makes such steady, patient efforts to help Brody and to give the entire family a warm, intimate Christmas holiday that they border on the heroic.
Embry is a writer with terrific attention to detail. Whether it’s John’s walks with his mutt Whiskers or his trips to McDonalds to catch up with his old newspaper buddies, he captures the rhythms of daily life and depicts each cascading crisis with sharp psychological accuracy. As a result, Darkness beyond the Light crackles with tension. Embry’s integrity as a writer is impressive as he doesn’t conjure up easy answers when it comes to the struggles of Brody and Geraldine. As a result, the reader is given a valuable window into the challenges of confronting deterioration whether it be through addiction, physical frailty, or disease.
I highly recommend Darkness beyond the Light. Instead of providing easy answers, it offers qualities much more endearing – empathy and understanding.
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