It was the cover that caught my attention and also the love of being introduced to new authors. This is a great summer read. I poured a hot coffee as I took a sweet seat to read for the next few hours of retreat, but before I knew it the pages were still turning and my coffee had turned cold.
It took me a while to read this selection. Busyness pretty much takes over at times, leaving little time for reading. I couldn't wait for a few moments here and there to escape into this gem of a read that took me to Nantucket to meet characters that I would love to call friends.
Catherine West won me over. Her writing is superb. The story-line flows easily. The characters are transparent. These are characters the reader can easily relate to. Faith is alive within these pages as Catherine easily brings the black and white alive before us.
Can you imagine losing your mother at a young age, having life topple upside down, and now as a young woman you now are taking care of your aging father who is slowly losing his memory? That alone would be enough weight to carry, right? But there is so much more unsettling for Lynette.
Lynette loves to paint. An artist who expresses herself through color cannot escape the changing portraits that are bringing her to ponder a deepness of herself she can't express. She cannot remember things of the past, things that shouldn't have escaped her memory, which leaves her to question so much about the present.
Ah, and then there's Nicholas who has surprisingly returned to town to help his father with the family business. This too gives us a glimpse into life that can be so troubling as a father and son do not see eye to eye and can't seem to understand one another. Nicholas plays a tremendous part in this story as it weaves together a story of love and friendship, trial and forgiveness, grace and growth.
Things often happen in life that make us question our faith. This is true for these characters. So much unfolds within these pages to keep the reader heating up their coffee! Yes, this is definitely a great summer read!
This novel was a gift from Thomas Nelson for sharing my review with you.
Catherine West writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. When she's not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks on the beach or tending to her roses and orchids. She and her husband have two grown children.
