"An Outstanding Read from one of the Genre's Best"

Diane Chamberlain has been one of my favorite authors of contemporary women's fiction/romance for quite a while and this book is typical of hers where she puts two interwoven stories into one book. And what a book it is. I read it in a day, something that is not at all typical for me.

CYPRESS POINT is set on the Monterey Peninsula and Bay Area of California. Joelle D'Angelo and Carlynn Shire's paths first cross when Carlynn saves Joelle's life on the day she is born in 1967. Now 34 years later Joelle again needs Carlynn's help. Her best friend Mara suffered a brain aneurysm when her first child was born 14 months previously. Mara is now in a nursing home, attempts at physical rehabilitation being to no avail.

Joelle had introduced Mara to her husband, Liam, a fellow social worker at a Monterey Hospital. In a moment of weakness on the first anniversary of Mara's devastating illness, Liam and Joelle are comforting each other and things go further than they should have, with the results that Joelle becomes pregnant. She has definite plans to leave the area before she is too far along in order to avoid embarrassment. But first she wants to do everything she can to help Mara (who is awake but clearly severely brain- damaged). A visit to her parents has her recall her miraculous revival at birth at the hands of Dr. Carlynn Kling Shire so Joelle contacts Carlynn to see if there is anything she can do to help Mara. Joelle is a bit hesitant to do so knowing that shortly after she was born, Carlynn was in a auto accident that killed her twin sister and doesn't want to remind of her of that tragedy.

Carlynn Kling and her identical twin sister, Lisbeth, were raised on the family estate of Cypress Point on Monterey Peninsula's famous 17-Mile Drive in the 1930's. It's evident early on that Carlynn has a gift of healing and she uses that gift and becomes a physician. Her twin doesn't appear to have the same gift and, in fact, is quite a bit different than Carlynn. Their mother only wanted ONE child so when, on the delivery table, she's informed there are two instead of one, she begins many years of ignoring and, in fact, disclaiming her second daughter. While Carlynn was sent to all the best private schools, Lisbeteh was given a substandard education. Despite this Carlynn and Lisbeth remained close but most people don't realize they are twins because Carlynn remains slim while Lisbeth's lack of self-esteem and over-eating as a way to deal with her loneliness and insecurity causes her to balloon to 200 pounds. When Carlynn goes to medical school in San Francisco, Lisbeth follows and works as an office manager at a medical clinic.

While in San Francisco, Carlynn continues her healing ways and eventually marries Dr. Alan Shire. Meanwhile Lisbeth has a romance of her own with an accountant at the hospital where Carlynn and Alan practice. There's a complication though - he's a Negro and it's the 1950s. Through it all Carlynn and Lisbeth's mother uses one excuse after another to reject Lisbeth.

But all isn't as it first seems. Things get very exciting and complicated when Joelle's careful plans go awry and a closely guarded secret being kept by Carlynn is eventually revealed.

Both stories are compelling and while reading Joelle's portion I was hesitant to switch gears to go to Carlynn's story. But I needn't have worried. Diane Chamberlain is such a pro at telling intertwined stories in such a way that both have the reader's full attention -- making each story as interesting and exciting as the other. There is one caveat here for romance readers, infidelity plays a role in this story and for those of you who are against it in any way, shape, or form in the books you read, then this will not be for you. But those who can keep an open mind, will be richly rewarded.

Whether it's the way she tells the story, her way with words, the way the breathes live into her characters or something less definable, Diane Chamberlain's books are definite page turners and this one, as most of her others, are very highly recommended. In CYPRESS POINT, the setting itself becomes a character as well be it while sailing in the Pacific, the fog-shrouded coast of Big Sur, or area of Pebble Beach's 17-Mile Drive and even those who've never been to the area may be tempted to plan a trip there in the near future.

Diane Chamberlain has again gifted readers with an outstanding read. To simply say "I loved it" is an understatement. It has all the qualities I have come to expect in an excellent read - and from this talented author.

Reviewed by Maudeen Wachsmith
Courtesy What I'm Reading
Posted November 26, 2001