No Other by Shawna K. Williams

In the aftermath of WWII all Jakob Wilheimer wants is to get over his pain, get on with life, and if at all possible, forgive those who've wronged his family -- including himself. But it's hard to do when there are constant reminders. One of them being his former schoolmate, now teacher, Meri Parker -- Miss Port Delamar Pearl, Mayor's daughter, Belle of the town -- Meri Parker.

After enduring the stigma and isolation associated with the internment camp, the awkwardness of going back to school should've been a cake walk. But Jakob didn't expect to find himself inexplicably drawn to Meri. Or to discover that the pain and loneliness of her life surpassed his own. She needed to be rescued from the domineering people seeking to control her life. And more than anything, he needed to be the one to save her.

The Story Behind This Book

This story and its sequel are based on a dream I had about eight years ago. I obsessed over it until everything made sense. Then I had to learn how to write, and since I was a big chicken about letting anyone read my stuff for the longest, it took awhile. I'm very passionate about this story as I feel that there aren't enough books in the Christian Fiction genre with characters that come across as real people, struggling with all the same true-to-life issues that the rest of us do. I wanted to tell a story about a good kid, who struggles and falls, but gets back up and presses on. The beauty of this story is in the 'how'. And I hope it leaves the reader feeling hopeful in the knolwedge that "In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. The sequel's title is "In All Things" and it carries on the same theme at a different stage in life.

Praise and Reviews

No Other is indeed a story like no other. Shawna K. Williams has succeeded in telling a heart-warming, and often heart-wrenching, story of love, compassion, acceptance and redemption. This well-written story dates back to the late 1940s when World War II was still fresh in everyone’s mind the lines between social classes and ethnic groups were clearly drawn. A modern day Romeo and Juliet in many ways, No Other beautifully illustrates the promise we have that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

--Jen Stephens, author of The Heart’s Journey Home

By    There is "no other" story like it. Seriously. This debut novel by author Shawna Williams took my breath away. It sounds cliche, but I don't know how else to describe the emotions that moved through me as I read this book. My heart was engaged and fully invested in the outcome. I read most of this book in one sitting. It's a perfect historical romance in that the tension kept building and it made me want them to work things out and find a way to be together. I fell in love with the characters and empathized with their situations. I also felt firmly grounded in the time period. The author's use of dialog was masterful. I could hear the characters speaking and their inner thoughts and dialog were consistent with that era. My favorite scene was toward the end when Jakob tries to do the right thing. The emotion was intense and so realistic I nearly cried myself. That's great writing because I felt something. I loved how true to life this story seemed and it was edgy enough to make me want to cheer Shawna on. This story felt real to me because the characters were complex and three dimentional. There were a few shifts in plot that were delightful as well. I love it when the author does something you aren't expecting. Nice job! I can't wait for the next book. This is making my "favorites" list for fiction for this year - 2010.

Author Interviews

• Author Interview/No Other/at Suspense by Anne
• Interview/No Other/Nicole Zoltack's blog
• Interview/No Other/The Balanced Writer
• Interview/No Other/Write Where I Want to Be
• Sue Perkins blog/ No Other Charcater Developement
• Interview/No Other/Stephanie Burkhart's blog

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