Shoot the Wounded is Lynn Dove’s debut novel. It is the first book in a trilogy about a fictional small town in southern Alberta. The novel opens with Leigh, Jake and their friends grieving at Ronnie’s funeral. We then go back in time to see Leigh and Ronnie’s friendship develop through middle school and fall apart in junior high as each deals with her own struggles.
When Jake moves to town, Leigh has a new friend. Ronnie’s family reaches out to Leigh’s family and their local church for help with some family issues. The girls’ friendship is restored, and Jake also gets to know Ronnie. Then news that Ronnie is pregnant rocks the small town.
After Ronnie’s death, her friends are left to face the way each of them helped—or didn’t help—her through her difficult time. Then Jake’s past comes calling, dragging up new issues for the friends to face.
Lynn’s fast-paced novel deals with some of the big issues facing teens today—and how God can work through those situations. Love the Wounded is based upon Lynn’s own experience of being bullied as a teenager. She has also watched each of her own children be bullied at school:
As an adult now and as a mother of three, each of whom have been bullied at school, my advice to them was never to “fight fire with fire.” Nor was my advice to “turn the other cheek” because there is a right and wrong way to confront bullying. Allowing the bullying and the victimization to continue is not the right way, and becoming a bully to avoid being a victim is not the right way either.
Lynn Dove calls herself a Christ-follower, wife, mom, grandmother, teacher and writer (in that order). She is the author of the award-winning books Shoot the Wounded, Heal the Wounded and Love the Wounded. She has also had essays published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Parenthood: 101 Heartwarming and Humorous Stories about the Joys of Raising Children of All Ages (March 2013), Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Wives: 101 Daily Devotions to Comfort, Encourage, and Inspire You (Sept. 2013), Chicken Soup for the Soul: O Canada The Wonders of Winter: 101 Stories about Bad Weather, Good Times, and Great Sports (Nov. 2013) and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles Happen: 101 Inspirational Stories about Hope, Answered Prayers, and Divine Intervention (Feb. 2014).
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