Awakened to Life by Sarah Hanks

Awakened to Life

              When I first wrote Awakened to Life, then titled Drifting In and Out of Sleep, I didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. It was 2007, I was pregnant with our third child, and we’d never gone through the adoption process. I had the seed of this idea about a woman who encounters a woman outside of an abortion clinic and offers to adopt her child while also pregnant herself. Intriguing, yes? I’d prayed outside of abortion clinics. I’d watched women go in pregnant and come out not. I’d mourned the loss of life. But I hadn’t yet adopted.

              I wanted to be Eve, but I wasn’t.

              Writing the novel became the catalyst for our own adoption journey. Months after it was first published in 2008, my husband and I filled out an application to adopt. Little did we know that it would take three and a half years before our son would join our family, and that the road would be far bumpier than we could have ever foreseen. We had no idea when we began the process that we’d be bringing home a seven-year-old with Down syndrome. Adopting out of birth order was never in our plan. We hadn’t conceived of an older child with special needs. And yet, he was always meant to be a part of our family. We couldn’t imagine life without him. A little over a decade later, we adopted again, this time an infant with special needs.

              It was so interesting to reread the scene about Eve and Gideon’s home study after going through the home study process myself. When I wrote the scene, I relied heavily on research as I had no lived experience. And yet, it was surprisingly accurate! The emotions the adoptive family goes through when completing the process are indeed a rollercoaster. It’s a refining process, one that will lead you to the foot of the cross if you let it.

              Awakened to Life is a pro-life novel that explores abortion and adoption from a variety of facets. Women who choose abortion and adoption. Doctors who practice abortion. Families who adopt. My prayer is that it drips with compassion for all involved. Our war isn’t against flesh and blood. We’re not fighting people who believe differently than we do. Our war is against an enemy who deceives women (and men) into thinking abortion is the best, or only, solution. Lord, open our eyes.

              Awakened to Life and Mercy Will Follow Me, another pro-life read, are free on KU.

Eve is a bold supporter of the rights of unborn children. She prays that God will awaken the Church and pour out a spirit of adoption, but she’s never had an opportunity to live out these prayers. One summer morning outside an abortion clinic, she is given a chance.
Lisa is pregnant, trapped by fear and past tragedy. She plans to abort her baby—until she encounters Eve. Eve offers the unthinkable: she will adopt Lisa’s unborn baby in addition to raising her own unborn son. “Have your baby,” Eve pleads. “I promise you, I’ll find a way to take her into my home. Let her live.”
Awakened to Life is a powerful story of redemption, forgiveness, and restoration. It calls the Church to awaken fully to the issue of abortion and to act on behalf of the defenseless and voiceless. From prayer to adoption to offering forgiveness and healing, this novel challenges believers everywhere to take a stand for life.

Sarah Hanks switched gears from children’s ministry to full-time novelist with Mercy Will Follow Me. She and her husband have nine children, a couple of whom seem to have inherited their mother’s love for playing with words and crafting stories. Though Sarah dreams of a cabin by the beach, the family lives together in beautiful chaos in St. Charles, MO. She buys earplugs in bulk.

Awakened to Life Amazon link: https://a.co/d/8aX2XZE

Sarah’s website: www.sarah-hanks.com

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Sarah Hanks is an award-winning author of Christian fiction in both the contemporary and historical genres. After spending over a decade mostly writing and teaching Sunday school curricula for churches in her community, she jumped into writing fiction full-time with her split-time novel Mercy Will Follow Me. She and her husband have nine children, a couple of whom seem to have inherited their mother’s love for playing with words and crafting stories. Though Sarah dreams of a cabin by the beach, the family lives jammed together in beautiful chaos near St. Louis, Missouri. She buys earplugs in bulk.