About the book: The Shadow of Your Smile
A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage.
After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember?
Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future? Read the story behind the story here: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/
About Susan: Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.
Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founderofwww.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.
Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)
A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at:www.susanmaywarren.com.
REVIEW:
Noelle and Eli have been through a lot in 25 years if marriage. They've wandered so far apart that they don't even know each other anymore. When Noelle has an accident though, she loses her memory. Suddenly she's forgotten the good and the bad over the last 25 years. As Eli and Noelle work together to get her adjusted to her "new" life, they try to rediscover her old life. They find that there were things they were both hiding. As they work together, they begin to discover that healing and hope is always there for those who seek it.
This book raised some great questions, the foremost being how would I react to my life if I forgot how I got here? For Noelle, she sees a very different life than she had imagined in college. Since she has forgotten how she got there, Noelle doesn't really understand her life. Noelle and Eli have both withdrawn from their lives, especially after the great tragedies they have gone through. As they worked to heal, they did it separately. This really added to their growing apart, not only from each other but also their sons. This was a family in a lot of pain. However, they discovered that by working together, it is possible to rediscover the love they once shared. This love is what will ultimately help with healing the many hurts they have.
There was also some sweet romance. Another theme running through the stories of various characters had to deal with ones dreams and wishes. As our lives take their various twists and turns, are we able to keep site of those dreams? Noelle and others had to work at this, but ultimately this helped them find happiness. Even if Noelle was never going to be a great artist, she was still able to find joy in her art. I think we could all stand to live a little bit of our dreams. This book was a great chance to reflect on many different aspects of life. It was a very interesting story and provided a lot of inspiration. I found myself wanting the best for all the characters. They are all likable, with a perfect mix of goodness and flaws. I think people looking for a great book that makes them think as well, this book will fit the bill.
Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.
One grand prize winner will receive:
- A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)
- The entire set of Deep Haven Books
1 comment:
I am new to Deep Haven. I would like to meet this family in The Shadow of Your Smile. Thank you for your review.
lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net
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