This took me longer than it should have to complete, but the last 2 weeks were crazy busy so I didn't get as much reading in as I've done over the summer.
This book was excellent and I loved all the characters. It's set on Cape Cod, mainly in Provincetown. It's a fave town of mine on the Cape and I haven't been there in many years but reading about it, brought back many good memories.
In the small village of Provincetown, MA, families tend to be close. Especially during the winter months when tourists are basically non-existent.
Nine year old Hallie Costa lives with her dad, Nick, in Thorne House. Her mother, Liz Cooper, died when she was younger. Nick is the local doctor and believes in being a "free spirit". Wolf, the unconventional artist, lives in a shack on the dunes and is one of Hallie's and Nick's closest friends. Stuart and his partner are also neighbors. They all love Hallie and Nick.
Hallie is an extremely smart little girl who loves playing on the beach and going up to the "widow's walk" late at night to look out to sea.
One autumn night, a horrible act of violence shatters the peaceful setting of Provincetown. And all of a sudden, the lives of nine year old Hallie and nine year old Gus Silva are entwined. Their friendship evolves into something stronger when they become teens. But on Prom night, a fight occurs between another boy, Neil, and Gus. And life changes drastically for Hallie and Gus. Their dreams of a life together, after high school, are destroyed.
Over the next 3 decades, Hallie and Gus wrestle with making separate lives. Gus becomes a priest and works hard at finding inner peace with himself and God. But that is all threatened when he meets a troubled woman who claims to be in an abusive marriage. This awakens memories of his childhood that he has worked hard to forget. He takes a chance at helping her and her little 6 year old daughter Mila hoping for a chance at redemption. But it comes at a horrible and devastating price. An unthinkable betrayal ensues, leaving Gus in prison. He is accused of murdering Ava, the abused woman! And Hallie, married to a rich man from Boston, loses her baby in a sudden miscarriage while working with a patient. She has taken over Nick's practice as he has recently died of cancer. Her marriage falls apart after the miscarriage and Gus comes back into her life very unexpectedly. Mila is now a troubled teen and reaches out to Hallie...........only to find out that things are not what they appear to be. Mila believes her mother is really still alive...and will stop at nothing to prove this to the people of Cape Cod and exonerate Gus. Will she succeed??
MY THOUGHTS
I really enjoyed this secular fiction book. I liked that there was some spirituality in it and I liked how the book celebrates faith, forgiveness, hope, and inner peace. These are all redemptive qualities of Christianity and although not a "Christian fiction" book those points are brought out well by the author.
The setting description was such that I felt as though I was right back on Cape Cod even though it has been about 3 years since I have been on the Cape. The character development was exquisite.....I felt like I would want to meet these people! Hallie is brave, true and real. Gus is a character you will just fall in love with and Neil......you will be very surprised at his role in everyone's lives.
I highly recommend this book if you like stories about hope and love, although it is not a romance novel.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this an 8.
2 comments:
Thanks for a great review, Faith. It definitely sounds like an interesting read.
I was wondering what you'd have to say about it. The cover caught my eye in you column.
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