Book Review: No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert

Challenging perceptions of discrimination and prejudice, this emotionally resonant drama for readers of Lisa Wingate and Jodi Picoult explores three different women navigating challenges in a changing school district–and in their lives.

When an impoverished school district loses its accreditation and the affluent community of Crystal Ridge has no choice but to open their school doors, the lives of three very different women converge: Camille Gray–the wife of an executive, mother of three, long-standing PTA chairwoman and champion fundraiser–faced with a shocking discovery that threatens to tear her picture-perfect world apart at the seams. Jen Covington, the career nurse whose long, painful journey to motherhood finally resulted in adoption but she is struggling with a happily-ever-after so much harder than she anticipated. Twenty-two-year-old Anaya Jones–the first woman in her family to graduate college and a brand new teacher at Crystal Ridge’s top elementary school, unprepared for the powder-keg situation she’s stepped into. Tensions rise within and without, culminating in an unforeseen event that impacts them all. This story explores the implicit biases impacting American society, and asks the ultimate question: What does it mean to be human? Why are we so quick to put labels on each other and categorize people as “this” or “that”, when such complexity exists in each person?

What I Loved: From page one, you’re pulled into this real-to-life story. Everything from the situations to the characters to Ganshert’s writing style came across as real. It’s almost hard to explain. But there’s something about her writing style that makes you feel like you’re coming home. It’s relatable. And there’s such a natural atmosphere on the page that is both enchanting and consuming.
I don’t believe this is a novel that you can pick up and read in one sitting. Or at least it wasn’t for me. It was something more solemn. Something that deserved more time and contemplation as you read. Oh, it’s entertaining to be sure. But it’s not the sort of fast-paced entertainment that leaves you feeling light and airy. It’s the kind that sticks to your ribs and changes you from the inside.
Ganshert has done an amazing job and I think this will be a lasting favorite for me.

Rating and Recommendation: I highly recommend it to those who enjoy Christian Contemporary Fiction or those who are looking for fiction that deals with real-life issues. I’m giving it 5 stars.

~ I received a copy from the publisher. I was not compensated for my review. All thoughts are my own.