Gina Holmes's well-written debut novel is making a splash with readers and writers alike. Here's a look at the summary:
Jenny Lucas swore she'd never go home again. But being told you're dying has a way of changing things. Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank-toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella's dad . . . who doesn't yet know he has a daughter. As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything-to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings . . . even overcome the impossible. A stunning debut about love and loss from a talented new voice.
And now my review:
This book was an intense look inside and through the eyes of a loving and sacrificial mother. As a mom myself, I related with the relational aspects of this story as the heroine interacted with her dearly-loved daughter. Gina painted the mom with wisdom and I could feel her affection for her child. One aspect I didn’t appreciate as much was the heroine’s passivity where her other relationships were concerned. This grated on me and almost caused me to give up on reading the book a few times in the course of its pages.
Just when the emotional undertow would begin to pull me under, the author surprised me with a plot twist which kept me reading through the painful emotions to see how she would work it out. This novel is impressive for a debut. Gina is obviously a good storyteller. The preview of her next book Dry as Rain from the back of the book is very intriguing. I get the feeling that all of Gina’s books will be emotional rides, just as Crossing Oceans was. It’s a challenge to write like this, and I believe Gina has mastered the technique. I look forward to reading more books by Gina Holmes.
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