Kimberly Carlson Aesara
Reviews
“Carlson’s captivating novel proves to be more about the journey than the destination.”
Kirkus Review
“This is exactly what we look for in an IPPY Award-winning novel: a big, worldly book, written with style and drama, by a very talented storyteller. Kimberly Carlson is a very deserving gold medalist.”
Jim Barnes, Awards Director
“At its core, Carlson’s book is about forging ahead despite the past and finding promise in the future.”
​a 5 out of 5 star review
San Francisco Book Review
“I fell deeply in love with the characters in Out of the Shadows. I felt like they were actual people that I knew and not just names from a book. The story was an amazing personal journey for Jamie Shire, and I was there every step of the way. I absolutely couldn’t get enough of her by the end.”
Megan Slankard, singer-songwriter
“Kimberly Carlson’s novel is remarkable for its keen observation and compassion. It is about nothing less than what it is to be human.”
Sandra Scofield, author of Occasions of Sin and The Scene Book
“Kimberly Carlson has followed in the footsteps of writers who take us to a different culture, seen through the eyes of an American woman who is driven to help the long-suffering people of war-torn Darfur, Africa…. Her writing is beautiful, and she illuminates her main character’s thoughts with informative but subtle comments on poetry, books and film. This novel deserves to be read and appreciated.”
Rebecca Tinsley, Founder of Waging Peace and Network for Africa, author of When the Stars Fall to Earth
“Carlson’s rich novel takes readers on a journey of discovery from a young woman’s quest to survive tragedy to the healing discovery of sufferings beyond our own world. This is one of those novels that impacts readers for years to come.”
Cindy Martinusen Coloma, best-selling author of The Salt Garden and Orchid House
“Kimberly Carlson’s Out of the Shadows is a moving, lush, exotic novel that evokes the best psychological investigations of John Fowles, the moody atmosphere of Poe. The devastating atrocities of our dark century hang over every page of this brooding book as Jamie seeks to heal from a personal loss as bruising to her body as it is to her spirit. Readers will feel an intimate connection to the residents of the mysterious Fallow Springs mansion, and, at times, as trapped there by pain as the heroine. This is a surprising tale of the families we must make for ourselves in a brutal world that often rips mother from child.”
Tony D’Souza, award-winning author of Whiteman, The Konkans, and Mule
Out of the Shadows “is a dream, a kiss, a smile, a hug, a home, a story. [Carlson shows] there is a life for every Darfuri woman.” -
Halima Bashir, author of Tears of the Desert
“Out of the Shadows is a memorable read—an inspired work from the heart of an activist!”
Paul Freedman, writer and director of Sand and Sorrow and Rwanda: Do Scars Ever Fade?