9780062239679
Play Sample

Daybreak audiobook

  • By: Shelley Shepard Gray
  • Narrator: Robynn Rodriguez
  • Length: 7 hours 48 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Publish date: February 12, 2013
  • Language: English
  • (767 ratings)
(767 ratings)
33% Cheaper than Audible
Get for $0.00
  • $9.99 per book vs $14.95 at Audible
    Good for any title to download and keep
  • Listen at up to 4.5x speed
    Good for any title to download and keep
  • Fall asleep to your favorite books
    Set a sleep timer while you listen
  • Unlimited listening to our Classics.
    Listen to thousands of classics for no extra cost. Ever
Loading ...
Regular Price: 21.99 USD

Daybreak Audiobook Summary

In this close-knit Amish family, nothing is as perfect as it seems . . .

When Viola Keim starts working at a nearby Mennonite retirement home, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with resident Atle, whose only living relative, son Edward, is living as a missionary in Nicaragua. Viola understands the importance of mission work, but she can’t imagine leaving her father in the hands of strangers. Even though her family is New Order Amish, it’s not the Amish way, and though she doesn’t know Ed, she judges him for abandoning his father.

But when Ed surprises his father with a visit, Viola and Ed both discover an attraction they never expected. Despite her feelings, choosing Ed would mean moving to a far-off country and leaving her family behind. She can’t do that. Her twin sister, Elsie, is going blind and will need someone to care for her all her life. Her family is reeling with the recent discovery that her grandmother hid her past as an Englischer. Her father seems forgetful and distracted–and to be harboring some secrets of his own.

Does Viola dare leave them all behind and forge her own life? Or will family ties mean her one chance at love slips away?

Other Top Audiobooks

Daybreak Audiobook Narrator

Robynn Rodriguez is the narrator of Daybreak audiobook that was written by Shelley Shepard Gray

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

About the Author(s) of Daybreak

Shelley Shepard Gray is the author of Daybreak

Daybreak Full Details

Narrator Robynn Rodriguez
Length 7 hours 48 minutes
Author Shelley Shepard Gray
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date February 12, 2013
ISBN 9780062239679

Additional info

The publisher of the Daybreak is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062239679.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Jerry

August 25, 2019

Despite how common they are, I usually enjoy Amish novels; their way of life may be quaint, but the stories are almost always touching. This was no exception; an engaging and heartwarming read. I'm glad I have the sequels on hand.

January

June 28, 2022

Daybreak by Shelley Shepard Gray 248±14 PS pages Paperback The Days of Redemption #1Genre: Christian Fiction - Amish Fiction; Romance - Christian, Amish, Contemporary; Inspirational Featuring: Berlin, Ohio, Retirement Home, Humor, Family Drama, Lies, Secrets, Missionary, Criticism, Illnesses Author's Letter, Discussion Questions, Book Preview 7 pages Rating as a movie: PGMy rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟My thoughts: Page 62 of 248, ch. 6 - This is hilarious. I would love a sitcom based on this series.📖 99, Ch. 10 - This people are a trip. I don't think Amish would be intentionally hurtful verbally, but it's entertaining. This story is good but more contemporary than other books I've read. I'm really loving this community. I'm going to have to read the entire series to get to the bottom of things but I'm really looking forward to it. Recommend to others?: Yes. This book is full of humor and drama.

Donna

July 02, 2017

I just found a new series by one my favorite authors. This one is the first in the series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Set in Berlin, OH in the heart of Amish country, it had some interesting characters and situations. Looking forward to going on with the series.

Rosemarie

March 19, 2019

Viola Kiem is a young New Order Amish woman who works in a Mennonite retirement home. She loves her job and enjoys bantering with Atle, one of the residents. Viola, her brother Roman, and her twin sister Elsie live with her parents in the house her father grew up in. But her father's parents, who now live in the Dawdi house, still rule the home. Viola is outspoken, like her grandmother, but she has a good heart. She wants to take care of her sister who is going blind, and she is obedient to her mother. Viola soon meets Ed, Atle's son, when he returns from the mission field in Nicaragua. She is not pleased with him because she feels his duty should've been taking care of his father, not traipsing off to a far away country. But Ed is undeterred in trying to establish a friendship with Viola.While sorting through the confusing thoughts in her mind about Ed, Viola learns that the her father discovered a deep secret about her grandmother, one that throws the entire family into upset. Viola and her sister then discover that their father has a secret of his own. Viola is hurt and confused, and she must look at her own heart with its judgmental ways...including how she feels about Ed.A good read with an interesting tale of family dynamics.

Gay

January 22, 2021

Decided to reread this Days of Redemption series, since I enjoyed it so when it first was published.Enjoyed Viola working in a Mennonite retirement living center and the mix of activity. This is worth reading again. Enjoyable light reading.

Elyssa

September 17, 2021

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and will definitely be reading the rest in the series!

Carol

February 14, 2019

Interesting. I have ordered the sequel from the library.

jeffsgirl25

March 21, 2021

Just love Amish themed stories. Cute book—just what I needed —enjoyed the characters and just a “no-stressFeel good book”

Megan

September 02, 2018

A little slow in places but overall a good read.

Debbie

February 10, 2018

I liked the theme/title throughout the book and in the end. I really like this author’s style of writing.

Kathleen (Kat)

February 13, 2013

What if everything you ever believed about your upbringing and the life your parents had lived was nothing but a lie? What would that make you think about all the decisions you've made that were called wrong when instead they could have been right, if only the true were allowed to shine through? Now you have the premise behind the latest novel from Shelley Shepard Gray in her new series The Days of Redemption. In the first book, Daybreak we are introduced to the residents of Daybreak Retirement Home where Viola Keim has been working in Mennonite community. Even though she herself isn't a Mennonite, but a New Order Amish, she finds herself wondering just how children can abandon their parents to live out the rest of their lives in the care of strangers instead of living at home with them.She finds herself particularly drawn to an elderly man named Atle Swartz who is wheelchair bound but is ornery as they come and lately only Viola can dish it back to him in a manner that creates a wonderful relationship despite the age difference. However when Atle shares the letters from his son volunteering in mission work in Nicaragua, she isn't pleased when Edward returns home to see his father. She has a hard time coming to terms between the differences in caring for aging parents and feels obligated to share her concerns with him. However it seems there might be more sparks there than just anger but can they work through their differences before Edward has to return to Nicaragua? When Viola learns that even her own family has been hiding secrets of their own, it opens her up to the possibilities that not everything as it appears on the surface. She learns that her own mother was born English and have hidden the facts of their lives before marriage from their children. Now Viola's parents have to come to terms that what people think about them as the perfect family isn't really true and that those same standards they have placed on their children growing up has made life more difficult than they could have imagined. What implications will that have not only on their immediate family but in the Amish community as well? Will this new knowledge help Viola move towards having a softer heart towards Edward and his own father?I received Daybreak by Shelley Shepard Gray compliments of Avon Inspired, a division of Harper Collins Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. Once again Shelley does an exceptional job at writing a series that defines some valuable lessons in between, about judging a book by its cover! In this instance Viola is judgmental when it comes to how Edward deals with his father based on her own values in growing up Amish, but she doesn't understand what has motivated them to make the decision that worked for them. Much like how she has judged her own parents based on what she saw on the outside without really knowing the truth about their own pasts. I LOVED novels that offer a duality about them, incorporating an wonderful story with some valuable life lessons we can all relate to. I rate this one a wunderbaar (wonderful in Amish) 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for the next book Ray of Light in this heartwarming The Days of Redemption series. You get a teaser chapter at the end of this one!

Kimberly

November 11, 2014

A brand new day brings new beginningsThis is book one is a series set in Holmes County Ohio and centered around an Amish community. I really like how Ms. Gray makes the characters "not perfect", but with family problems just like we all have. Sometimes the Amish genre is portrayed as an idealistic way of life, but this story helps the reader realize that the Amish are people that can have family problems just like everyone else - they just use their faith to work through those problems. Viola, one of the main characters, struggles to understand Ed's choice to be away from family and live as a missionary in another country. She reminds us that we usually end up with a wrong assessment of someone when we look at them through our own perception, instead of through God's eyes. The story has many characters that are easy to identify with and teach us how to work through life's trials with faith and family. The other books in this series focus on different characters in the same community of Amish, which always appeals to me because I hate saying goodbye to characters I have met in stories! Ms Gray's descriptive scenarios make you feel a part of the community and the lives of the characters. Her attention to detail and her accurate portrayal of the Amish is a reflection of the research she must put into every story. I look forward to many more stories from this talented author

Shari

September 04, 2013

This is the first book in the three part Days of Redemption series.Viola Keim is working in a Mennonite retirement home when she strikes up an unlikely friendship with one of the residents, Atle Swartz, whose only living relative is son Edward, who is working as a missionary in Nicaragua. Even though Viola understands the importance of mission work, she can't understand how Edward could leave his father with strangers, it's not the Amish way, so even though she does not know Edward, she judges him for abandoning his father.When Edward surprises his father with a visit, he and Viola both discover an attraction to one another. But Edward will soon be leaving on another mission, and being with him would mean leaving her family behind, and she especially needs to stay for her twin sister Elsie, who is going blind and will need someone to care for her for the rest of her life. Her family is also still reeling from the recent discovery of a family secret concerning her grandmother, and her father also seems to harboring his own secrets.I really enjoyed this book, and how each generation of the family had it's own stories. Looking forward to seeing how they further unfold in the rest of the series. The author did a good job of wrapping up the story in a satisfying way, yet leaving more to discover in the next book.

Michelle

May 06, 2013

The first thing you will notice about Daybreak is the beautiful cover. It will capture your attention with the vibrant colors and make you want to jump right into the story. Well it did to me at least. Admittedly, I would have read this regardless of what the cover looked like because with a Shelley Shepard Gray book I know what is in store for me; a page turner that will keep me up late at night and leave me super antsy for the next installment! The cover scene adds an air of mystery to the book. I wonder who or what they are looking at off in the distance. We are introduced to the Keims of Berlin, Ohio, who are an Amish family with one too many secrets that have been buried for years. One particular secret involving the family matriarch is exposed and leaves the family reeling with shock. This in turn opens the door for even more shocking revelations. Each family member is left to deal with the realization that all is not what it has appeared to be. Such drama, indeed! Shelley takes us on quite the adventure or I should say a whirlwind of emotions. You will laugh, maybe shed some tears, be swept up in a budding romance but most of all you will be fascinated with the not so simple life of one very unique Amish family. A family that sure looks perfect and plain to outsiders except sometimes the “simple life” is not so simple after all.

Kristi

January 21, 2014

Daybreak is the first book in the Days of Redemption series. It focuses on Viola Kiem, a young Amish woman who works at a retirement home. One of her friends at the retirement home is resident Atle Swartz, whose son Edward is a missionary worker in Nicaragua. Viola does not agree with Atle's only child being so far away from his father. When he comes home to visit his father Viola is unsure of her feelings towards him. Viola's home life is chaotic as it is discovered her grandmother has been keeping a secret, her aunt reveals a past hurt and her father has a secret of his own. Viola's world has been turned upside down.I really enjoyed this book. The characters were likable even though flawed. They could have been from any background as the problems they faced weren't specific to the Amish faith. I liked how Shelley Shepard Gray took these "any family" problems and wove them into a story about an Amish family and how they handled them. The story moved at a good pace. There is just the right mix of romance and family turmoil to get the reader's attention and keep them interested. I am looking forward to the next book in the series to find out what happens next in the Kiem family. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes Amish fiction or is just looking for a good read.

Frequently asked questions

Listening to audiobooks not only easy, it is also very convenient. You can listen to audiobooks on almost every device. From your laptop to your smart phone or even a smart speaker like Apple HomePod or even Alexa. Here’s how you can get started listening to audiobooks.

  • 1. Download your favorite audiobook app such as Speechify.
  • 2. Sign up for an account.
  • 3. Browse the library for the best audiobooks and select the first one for free
  • 4. Download the audiobook file to your device
  • 5. Open the Speechify audiobook app and select the audiobook you want to listen to.
  • 6. Adjust the playback speed and other settings to your preference.
  • 7. Press play and enjoy!

While you can listen to the bestsellers on almost any device, and preferences may vary, generally smart phones are offer the most convenience factor. You could be working out, grocery shopping, or even watching your dog in the dog park on a Saturday morning.
However, most audiobook apps work across multiple devices so you can pick up that riveting new Stephen King book you started at the dog park, back on your laptop when you get back home.

Speechify is one of the best apps for audiobooks. The pricing structure is the most competitive in the market and the app is easy to use. It features the best sellers and award winning authors. Listen to your favorite books or discover new ones and listen to real voice actors read to you. Getting started is easy, the first book is free.

Research showcasing the brain health benefits of reading on a regular basis is wide-ranging and undeniable. However, research comparing the benefits of reading vs listening is much more sparse. According to professor of psychology and author Dr. Kristen Willeumier, though, there is good reason to believe that the reading experience provided by audiobooks offers many of the same brain benefits as reading a physical book.

Audiobooks are recordings of books that are read aloud by a professional voice actor. The recordings are typically available for purchase and download in digital formats such as MP3, WMA, or AAC. They can also be streamed from online services like Speechify, Audible, AppleBooks, or Spotify.
You simply download the app onto your smart phone, create your account, and in Speechify, you can choose your first book, from our vast library of best-sellers and classics, to read for free.

Audiobooks, like real books can add up over time. Here’s where you can listen to audiobooks for free. Speechify let’s you read your first best seller for free. Apart from that, we have a vast selection of free audiobooks that you can enjoy. Get the same rich experience no matter if the book was free or not.

It depends. Yes, there are free audiobooks and paid audiobooks. Speechify offers a blend of both!

It varies. The easiest way depends on a few things. The app and service you use, which device, and platform. Speechify is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks. Downloading the app is quick. It is not a large app and does not eat up space on your iPhone or Android device.
Listening to audiobooks on your smart phone, with Speechify, is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks.

footer-waves