iola

Wren is a single mother, raising 10-year-old Charlie alone after his father abandoned them both when Charlie was three months old, signing over his parental rights along with the divorce. She has struggled over the years to reclaim her faith and to survive financially, and is now working as a librarian in a small town in coastal Maine. The two live in the caretakers’ cottage on the property of the family holiday home, which has been unused since Wren was a child. She is surprised on morning by an unplanned visit from her grandmother, Ruth, who wants to get her three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren together for her upcoming 90th birthday party, in an effort to heal the family relationships that were broken long ago.Meanwhile, Wren is preoccupied by problems with Charlie and problems at work. Charlie is an accomplished violinist with the opportunity to study at a prestigious music school in Boston, but that would mean moving and be a financial challenge. Charlie is also having problems with his best friend at school, whose mother happens to be Wren’s prayer partner. Wren is surprised to find that Derek, her ex-husband, has been in contact with Charlie without her knowledge or permission, and wonders how she is meant to deal with the fact that he appears to want a relationship with them. She is also surprised to be asked out by a man from work, and unbelieving at the workplace gossip that Paul, the handsome café owner, might be interested in her. As the novel progresses, Wren is encouraged by others to trust in God, and challenged around some of her long-held beliefs about family relationships.This book was written entirely from Wren’s point of view. I found it a refreshing changing to find a modern writer who does not engage in ‘head hopping’, or continually changing points of view from character to character. Changing point of view, when done well, can add immeasurably to the understanding of the different characters in a novel, but when done badly I find it confusing. By writing exclusively from Wren’s point of view, I gained a deeper understanding of her problems, including her questions about her interactions and relationships with other people. It was also nice to see her relationship with Paul develop despite her concerns.Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.