A Work Of Great Beauty
What Tomorrow Will Be by Julieanne MacLean is the most beautiful contemporary novel that will lodge deep in your heart and soul. Every once in a while, a book comes along that profoundly impacts me – and this is that book. I know it will stay with me forever.
The action is in three main time periods – 1998, 2006 and 2025. These are pivotal moments in the lives of characters. They are the defining years. A life is bookmarked by two freak accidents – both have huge emotional impact for all those involved. We often wonder – why do bad things happen to good people? Sometimes there are just no answers but I was reminded of the Bible passage in Genesis 49 where God uses bad circumstances and flips it round to good.
You never forget your first love – especially if it has been ripped away. A character has had the big love of her life, and of her present love she says: “It doesn’t feel earth shattering. It’s a quieter kind of love.” It is a love on which lives and a family have been built – but are the foundations strong enough to weather the storms?
Personal dreams are good to have, to give you something to strive for, but not at the expense of today. “I spend too much time mapping out my future. As a result, I forget to enjoy the present.” Do not miss the present because the future is not guaranteed.
Parents should give their children wings to fly, and not tether them to their dreams, and therefore clipping their children’s wings. “I don’t want to disappoint my father. And therein lies the conflict.
We see that the mother is the lynchpin of her family. “She’s the centre of our family, the sturdy post we all cling to.” Without her, is there even a family unit? Or are they just individuals occupying the same space?
Marriages need to be worked at in order to bloom and grow. A work-life balance is important – or you may reach the end of your life, so poor that all you have is money. Our true riches are in the people with whom we build relationships.
A character is struggling with survivor’s guilt and PTSD. We see the role that dogs play in our lives to offer support. “He’s [Scooter the dog] never been trained as a service dog but that’s what he is to me… He’s the guardian of my soul, the protector of my heart… and I don’t know what I would do without him.” A good dog never dies but lives on in hearts.
Heaven is the setting for a beautiful scene that feels like a coming home as love lives there. There is the temptation to stay, but there are the voices of raw love and raw grief competing.
We witness the power of social media to build up or tear down. Trial by social media is wicked and cruel. We need to be careful what we post and what we listen to.
All the characters were wonderfully drawn, realistic and believable. I found it easy to empathise with all the lead characters.
What Tomorrow Will Be is a work of great beauty. The story is a powerful one. There is definitely an emotional pull on your heart as you read – tissues will be needed. You do not want to miss this book.
I received a free copy from the author. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON