To most of the world, Sabrina Rice is living the dream. Smart and driven, she is nearing college graduation with a good shot at a prestigious public relations job. She has a loving family, excellent grades and, to her surprise, the attention of a hot guy. But the world can’t see what’s going on deep inside, where Sabrina battles daily with feeling betrayed by the God she loves. She’d been so sure that the goals she’d set were both God-inspired and God-honoring. And she’d been well on her way to attaining them when a devastating diagnosis shattered her plan and changed the course of her life.

Now another unexpected hurdle, in the form of a juvenile delinquent named Brandy Philip, is causing her to veer off course again. Can she trust God with a new plan when he let her crash and burn with the first one? Sabrina is tired of chasing hope, but will find that if she slows down long enough to listen, she just might find it within her grasp.

"In CHASING HOPE, author Kathryn Cushman gives us characters richly filled with the baggage, flaws, hopes and dreams that make them likable and relatable."

Ever since she was 12 years old, Sabrina felt God calling her to become an Olympic runner. She had planned to use her notoriety to honor him, to minister to others. All was going according to plan as Sabrina broke records and received a college scholarship. But a rare form of rheumatoid arthritis shattered her carefully mapped-out future. Forced to give up running, Sabrina formulates a new plan. She is majoring in public relations, hoping for an internship with a major firm, when she sees Brandy running from security on her college campus. The young graffiti artist can run like the wind --- a painful reminder of the gift Sabrina no longer possesses. When unforeseen circumstances entwine their lives, leading Sabrina to coach Brandy, the two initially struggle with their newfound relationship. But as the high school troublemaker and career-driven college student get to know each other, walls start to crumble and new dreams begin to emerge.

Once again, God is twisting and turning Sabrina’s path in uncomfortable directions. The desired internship with the PR firm is looking good, but another offer keeps coming her way. It wouldn’t be nearly as prestigious and certainly wasn’t on her agenda for the future. And yet it could impact lives the way she’d planned to do as an Olympic medalist.

In CHASING HOPE, author Kathryn Cushman gives us characters richly filled with the baggage, flaws, hopes and dreams that make them likable and relatable. They lead readers through a story that is sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes inspirational, and always captivating. I think readers will be drawn to Sabrina, heartbroken that God didn’t let her fulfill a dream that would have honored him. Her disappointment and pain are universal, while her strength is inspirational. Likewise, they’ll enjoy the feisty Brandy, whose broken past gave her a tough skin, but never truly toughened her heart. CHASING HOPE is a great read that would especially be enjoyed by older teens and twentysomethings.