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Martha Engber
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Winter Light Kindle Edition

by Martha Engber (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 out of 5 stars 37 ratings
Fifteen-year-old Mary Donahue of suburban Chicago is a kid on the cusp of failure during the brutal blizzard winter of 1978-79, the end of a hard luck, hard rock era sunk in the cynical aftermath of the Vietnam War.

Though a smart, beautiful kid, she’s a motherless girl raised by an uneducated, alcoholic father within an extended family of alcoholics and addicts. Aware that she’s sinking, she’s desperate to save herself and so reaches out to an unlikely source, Kathleen, a nice, normal kid from English class.

But when the real storm hits, the full force of a harsh adult world almost buries Mary. Only then does she learn that the only difference between life and death is knowing when to grasp an extended hand.
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  1. Print length
    148 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    October 6, 2020
  5. Reading age
    15 - 18 years
  6. Grade level
    9 - 12
  7. File size
    3.3 MB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Winter Light tugs at your heart, reminding you of what it's like to be a young person growing up, unsure of what to wear, how to behave, who and what to care about. Unsure of anything. The story is a ride through Class V rapids that will keep you hanging on white-knuckled till the end. A great read." Jana McBurney-Lin, author of My Half of the Sky

"Winter Light is the extraordinary and intricate story of Mary Donahue, a teenager from the darker side of life whose struggles, resilience, and courage will be forever seared in your brain and your heart." Joylene Nowell Butler, author of Broken But Not Dead, Matowak: Woman Who Cries and Dead Witness

"Martha Engber has crafted a well-paced, thoughtfully structured, insightful novel that draws the readers' compassion for Mary and the motley collection of 'burnout' teens that are Mary's friends. We witness Mary's heartrending struggles to break free of economic and social class boundaries, the effects of careless parenting, and the low expectations of others, subjects the author handles with great skill and subtlety." Paulette Boudreaux, author of Mulberry

About the Author

Martha Engber is the author of THE WIND THIEF, a novel, and GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS FROM THE GROUND UP. A journalist by profession, she's written hundreds of articles for the Chicago Tribune and other publications. She had a play produced in Hollywood and fiction and poetry published in the Aurorean, Watchword and other journals. A workshop facilitator and speaker, she lives in Northern California with her husband, bike and surfboard. website: http: //marthaengber.com

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08DC8XY66
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vine Leaves Press
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 6, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.3 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 148 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 15 - 18 years
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

About the author

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Martha Engber

Martha Engber

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Martha Engber’s THE FALCON, THE WOLF AND THE HUMMINGBIRD, a historical novel about two female warriors in pre-Columbian New England, is now on sale! Ms. Engber's BLISS ROAD, a memoir about being the daughter of an undiagnosed autistic dad, is the winner of a Royal Dragonfly Award for Nonfiction and garnered a 5-star rating from Reader's Favorite. Martha's other books include WINTER LIGHT, an IPPY Gold Medal Winner for YA, (now available as an audiobook), THE WIND THIEF, a novel, and GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS, a resource for writers. She encourages readers to connect via her website.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
37 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Elaina
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliance in YA
    Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Hands down, no questions asked, it's one of the best YA novels I have ever laid my eyes on and heart into--straight down the middle to where the ache happens. Set in the late 1970s, in the cold, dreary suburbs of Chicago, you're immediately drawn into Mary's world of underage drinking, burnout posses, and unfortunate circumstance. All matches the weather. Mary had my heart choked up instantly, and there I stayed, every inch of her journey. I only remember being this sucked into a book when reading A.S. King's Vera Deitz. Okay, so I have a type...that being said, Mary is much less privileged than Vera, and much less apathetic. Martha Engber is a masterful voice-producer. The third person narrative is done beautifully-- you truly forget it's being narrated. You're there in the muck of it with Mary during her pain, anger, hope, and agitation. You feel the burn of the cold wet snow on your own feet and skin.

    It's a novel about friendship, social class division, fate, fighting fate, and coming of age, but in the richest, most "I don't want to leave this novel, ever" of ways. I will be thinking about Mary and her world for years. And years. In many ways, most women are Mary. The truth. You'll know.
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  • Ann S. Epstein
    5.0 out of 5 stars As Darkly Bleak and Crystalline Bright as its Title
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Winter Light by Martha Engber can be as darkly bleak and as crystalline bright as its title. Fifteen-year-old Mary has nothing going for her except grit. She also has good looks and a brain, but the first makes her a target while the second makes her smart enough to see what a bad hand she’s been dealt. Mary’s mother died when she was five, her alcoholic father is abusive, her friends are burnouts. She’s poor and shivering through the harsh Chicago winter of 1978-79. Desperate to escape her life for one she can’t even define, Mary reaches out to Kathleen, a prissy classmate from a storybook world. To their mutual surprise, they click. But Winter Light is not a simple rags to riches, loser to winner tale. Bad luck dogs Mary, dragging her back two steps for every step forward. As a fiction writer myself (see my Amazon author page www.amazon.com/author/asewovenwords), I’m impressed by the agile plot turns. Although promoted as a YA novel – not a genre I typically read – the depth of Engber’s characters and her insights into the conflicted feelings of two girls fascinated by their divergence as well as their points of connection, make this a compelling book for readers of all ages.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Joanne Nelson, author of This Is How We Leave
    5.0 out of 5 stars Warning: You won’t be able to put Winter Light down. Sleep will be missed.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Warning: You won’t be able to put Winter Light down. Sleep will be missed.

    Martha Engber’s third book, Winter Light, operates on two levels. First there’s the story of teenager Mary Donahue. A girl from the wrong side of everything. We follow Mary as she struggles to find a way forward out of poverty, loss, and the low expectations of those around her. Her path is littered with poor decisions—not only her own, but those of everyone she loves. We watch as she begins to find a new way forward, under her own guidance. An uncharted course fraught with both literal, rapid page-turning danger and the heart-breaking risk of even trying.

    There’s more. Winter Light also works on another level. How is it that we know what we know? How are norms passed to us—and what happens when they aren’t? How do we make it out of a bad past? These questions become a subtle hum weaving through the novel. A hum that only adds to a reader’s engagement with Engber’s well written narrative as we journey with Mary, hoping she'll show us how it’s done.

    Bring out the snacks and get comfy. Winter Light is well worth a late night and a groggy morning.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • lisa lete
    5.0 out of 5 stars Have Tissues Handy
    Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this book. I was delayed in an airport and started reading this. Before I knew it, three hours had whizzed by and it was time to board. I finished the book on the plane and had to refrain from sobbing out loud! The author pulls you into the world of the main character and you find yourself cheering and praying for her! I still can't quit thinking about Mary and hoping her life turns out okay!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Colin
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic book well worth the read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    It was a roller coaster to follow Mary's ups and downs throughout the whole novel, but I loved the ride. Poor girl! One thing after another just seemed to hurtle her way. One thing I especially appreciated was how all of Mary's personas were in constant conflict—the breadwinner for her family, the sister pushing her brother to apply for art school, the cool/badass burnout partying on the weekends, the determined young woman trying to turn her future around, the girl who just wants to have a normal sleepover. It reminded me how complicated being a kid can be, how what we see on the surface is just that: the surface. A great read not only for the plot, but the writing. Mary's voice simmers and erupts in each line, and Martha Engber's pacing is fantastic. I had trouble putting this down.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Fredrick Soukup
    5.0 out of 5 stars Heavy, deft. Must read!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I don't read much YA fiction, but I'm not sure Winter Light adheres to the genre all that much anyway. It's quite dark, yet at the same time witty and compassionate. It's also hold-your-breath intense. I recommend this book!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Colleen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2021
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    A gripping story! The book gets better with every chapter. I found myself getting lost often and always reading “one more page”!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Joylene L. Butler
    5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!
    Reviewed in Canada on October 6, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Winter Light is the story of Mary Donahue, a teenager from the wrong side of the tracks, who struggles to rise above her circumstances. This story tugged at my heartstrings. It's a darker coming-of-age story. Mary's dad is an alcoholic, her brother's into drugs, and most of her friends don't care about tomorrow. Mary's the kind of girl you'd pass on the street and pay no mind to her. Martha Engber made me cared about Mary. I highly recommend this novel if you're looking for an intelligent story where you can get behind the protagonist and cheer her on from page one. Reading this novel was an emotional ride, for sure. I bet we all know someone like Mary, someone who deserves better.
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  • Byddi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book - a fully immersive experience
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 6, 2020
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    Right from the start, we know that 15-year-old Mary Donahue has a tough life. Her mother died when Mary was a small child. Her father is an alcoholic, and only one of her three older brothers is on Mary’s team. Mary hangs out with the burnouts in her school, spending more time partying than on homework but when Mary strikes up an unusual friendship with one of the Preppy girls in her class Mary glimpses a better life, and wants it.

    Martha Engber, pulls no punches as she depicts the obstacles that Mary slams into as she tries to change her life. This story is stomach-clenchingly gritty but so beautifully written, it tempers the harsh reality the story portrays. Details are exquisitely observed, and Engber has a way of dropping you directly into the Chicago winter so you feel the bite of the cold as you read, with descriptions such as “…the wind a zipper catching your skin.”

    Engber is a master of characterization. I fell in love with Mary right away, and the people in the story feel real and multidimensional. While Mary’s world and life experiences are (thankfully) not very familiar to me, I could totally relate to this story, could comprehend fully the concept of the knock-on effect of one event going awry and pulling everything else down with it. Well-paced story plotting, combined with an artful depiction of a time and a place – 1978 Chicago – makes this read a fully immersive experience. When you must (reluctantly) set the book down to re-enter your own day, your mind will continue to ponder Mary’s trials and tribulations.

    I’ll avoid spoilers, of course, but one thing I would say is that Winter Light is a tightly written story that packs a punch. Nothing is mentioned that doesn’t have a part to play in the plot. It’s the kind of story with “aha!” moments that make you want to start at the beginning again as you read the final words. Readers, pay attention…
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