Publishers Weekly
02/14/2022
In this melancholy historical from Tromp (Wide Open), a young couple finds comfort in God as they struggle to trust each other in the aftermath of WWII. Sam Mattas returns to the mountains of Arkansas from the Pacific theater after serving three years in the U.S. Navy, mentally scarred from combat. He finds his wife Charlotte Anne and daughter have had to turn to Charlotte Anne’s abusive father, a criminal known as the Judge, to make ends meet. When Sam starts seeing strange men in the woods near his home, Charlotte Anne dismisses them as visions related to wartime trauma, but Sam’s discovery of drugs on his property sets him on a mission to protect his family, even if it means allying with a former enemy. Tromp imbues the Judge with a palpable sense of menace and excels in her tender depiction of Sam and Charlotte Anne’s efforts to reckon with their traumas—Sam’s from war and Charlotte Anne’s from her father—including their pained and moving prayers. A strong first outing, this is moving, engaging, and occasionally thrilling. (Mar.)
The Midwest Book Review
"A riveting read [that] will have a special appeal to readers with an interest in PTSD—the invisible wounds that the horrors of war inflict. A first class suspense thriller."
Melanie Dobson
Shadows in the Mind’s Eye is an intense, beautifully written novel about secrets and sacrifice. A story about poignant trauma and truth potent enough to heal a broken family. A fabulous debut!
Lynne Gentry
With twists and turns as unexpected as an Arkansas thunderstorm, Tromp brilliantly explores the things war can change and the important things it can’t.
J'nell Ciesielski
An achingly poignant tale of rediscovering love and trust between wounded hearts. Love, forgiveness, and danger weave together in Tromp’s emotional tale where the greatest of battles are fought in the mind. Beautiful in description with complex characters, readers will not forget this emotional journey.
Elizabeth Musser
With pitch-perfect dialect, lyrical prose, and homespun wisdom, Tromp delivers a slow boiling mystery that dares to ask the deepest questions about faith, love, suffering, evil, and hope.
Sarah Sundin
Oh my! What a story! Shadows in the Mind’s Eye is a stunner of a debut novel. Sam and Annie’s love is beautifully rendered, Sam’s combat fatigue (what we now call PTSD) is compassionately portrayed, and Janyre Tromp’s writing effortlessly captures the Southern voice. And the last half of the book is one dangerous, breathtaking twist after another, as Sam’s worst nightmares come to pass. A compelling look at a town struggling to find its soul and a wounded couple struggling to reclaim their love. Not to be missed.
Julie Cantrell
Readers will enjoy this emotional exploration of a soldier’s journey as he returns home to his family’s farm after fighting a war in the Pacific. This story examines not only the traumatic impact on his own psyche but on the lives of all who love him most. With alternating points of view, Tromp weaves a complex historical tale incorporating love, suspense, hurt, and healing—all the elements that keep the pages turning.
Susie Finkbeiner
Stunning and compelling, Janyre Tromp’s Shadows in the Mind’s Eye kept me turning pages. With a cast of true-to-life characters, pitch-perfect narrative, and a plot that will keep the reader wondering what is true (and what is imagined), this novel is not to be missed. Intense and full of heart, Tromp delivers a fresh voice in the world of fiction.
Kelli Stuart
Tromp’s debut novel is the perfect blend of historical fiction and psychological thriller. Shadows in the Mind’s Eye hooked me early on and kept me enthralled until the very end. A story of war, of heartache, of love and healing, this novel will appeal to a broad swath of readers. Tromp is a new author to watch!
Jolina Petersheim
A hair-raising, mind-bending psychological thriller, Shadows in the Mind’s Eye by Janyre Tromp deftly explores a marriage torn asunder by war. Is a marriage worth fighting for when you cannot see the people your husband is fighting, or when you even become the one he is fighting? Tromp’s nuanced empathy elevates this story to another level and blurs the line between villain and hero, causing readers to ponder the lengths they would go to protect themselves, even against the ones they love.
