"strong family drama"
Joely Doyle left her hometown of Idle Point, Maine to make
a life for herself. Eventually she settled in Scotland
where she currently lives with William and his daughter.
However, though she loves her housemates, the adult
relationship is drifting apart and only their adoration
for the child keeps the couple together. Her thirty-eight years older pregnant sister Cat begs
Joely to come home as she needs her help since their
mother, former folk singer Mimi, suffered a stroke, burned
down their house, and is currently hospitalized.
Reluctantly Joely returns to Maine to see her mother, a
woman who has lived in a fantasy world ever since her
husband deserted her three decades ago; that "realm" is
where Joely feels she and her sister were raised.
However, Joely begins to learn family secrets especially
that of her parents; this makes the American expatriate
reassess mom and reconsider her future. This strong family drama stars three realistic females
struggling with the pivotal moment in their respective
lives, the abandonment of the male over thirty years ago.
Readers will appreciate how that particular key event
impacted the three Doyles left behind as none of them
trust males and for the most part not one another too.
Readers who appreciate a powerful character study that
digs deep into cause and effect will want to read Barbara
Bretton's fine convincing tale. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted June 28, 2005
A master at touching readers' hearts, Barbara
Bretton explores the emotional journey of two sisters
and the healing truth of an unforgettable family legacy when
an unexpected reunion inspires a better understanding of
secrets and sacrifices.
Summary"We need you. Come home" . . .
When Joely Doyle was old enough she packed her bags, left
home, and set out to create her own identity—away from
the faded photographs of the father she never knew, and the
faded dreams of her mother Mimi who waited forever
thereafter for his return.
Now, a pleading phone call from her estranged sister Cat has
urged Joely back to Maine for their mother's bittersweet,
final days.
For Joely, now in love with a man of her own, home means
scores to settle, debts to be paid, and a family history to
finally unravel. But the more she discovers of her sister's
life, her father's secrets, and her mother's sacrifices, the
closer she comes to understanding the twists of fate that
shaped her past, and the choices she must now make that will
define her future.
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