About When Tragedy Strikes by Sarah Shewey
A story of fiction that is based on a true event.
Three families brought together by tragedy.
Two sisters—one journey—two experiences.
Strong faith in the midst of tragedy.
When 15-year-old Adriana Johnson suddenly began getting sick after a fatal car accident that killed her parents. Her older sister, Keeley, panics, and she calls family friends Bill and Courtney Stevens—hoping Courtney could provide the comfort only a mother could provide.
After Adriana slips into a coma, Keeley, determined to protect the last of her family, stays faithfully by Adriana’s side in the hospital. A bond forms between Keeley and Nurse Aimee Phillips during the hospital stay, as the nurse provides Keeley with the strength and grace to manage her circumstances.
When Tragedy Strikes is a deeply moving work of inspirational fiction that blends emotional realism, faith-centered resilience, and a gripping medical narrative. Drawing from lived experience, Sarah Shewey crafts a story that is both intimate and universally resonant, offering readers a powerful portrait of sisterhood, loss, and unwavering hope.
From the opening pages, the novel establishes a tone of emotional immediacy. Keeley’s sleepless night and the haunting memory of the phone call—“There’s been an accident”—set the stage for a narrative shaped by trauma, faith, and fierce devotion. The early chapters deliver a heartbreaking one-two punch: the sudden loss of the girls’ parents and Adriana’s mysterious medical decline. These scenes are written with clarity and restraint, allowing the emotional weight to speak for itself.
Shewey excels at portraying the rawness of grief without slipping into melodrama. Keeley’s plea in the emergency room—“Please figure out what’s wrong with my sister. She’s the only family I have left.”—captures the desperation of a young woman forced into adulthood overnight. The author’s ability to balance fear, faith, and determination gives the novel its emotional backbone.
The medical storyline is one of the book’s strongest elements. The pacing is tight, the stakes are high, and the hospital scenes feel authentic and immersive. The introduction of Aimee, the upbeat ICU nurse, brings warmth and humanity to an otherwise clinical environment. Her philosophy—“I believe if you keep a positive attitude, you’ll get positive results.”—mirrors the novel’s central theme: hope is not naïve; it is necessary.
Supporting characters such as Bill, Courtney, and later Andrew and Dylan enrich the narrative with compassion and levity. Their presence prevents the story from becoming overwhelmingly heavy, offering moments of comfort and connection that feel earned and genuine.
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Author Bio:
I started writing two stories back in 2011, and I began writing whenever inspiration struck. Eventually, I got bored and drifted away from them, and for years they sat. In 2024, I stumbled across them again, and something in me shifted. I started writing on my first book, which I titled When Tragedy Strikes, and finally finished it.
My mom had always encouraged me to publish my work. She believed in my writing long before I believed in myself. But I never had the courage to put my words out into the world. When she passed away on December 29, 2025, everything changed. Publishing this story became a way to honor her faith in me, to take the step she always hoped I would take.
I am not a professional writer; I have no English degree, nor have I taken any creative writing classes. I do love listening to audiobooks, so I think I know what makes a good book. When Tragedy Strikes is based upon an event in my life–Adriana is loosely based on me, so I was able to put myself into every scene.
So I did. And this book is as much hers as it is mine.