Jenn's Bookshelves

Summary from Amazon.com:

Sometimes you have to leave your life to find yourself again . . .
After more than a dozen moves in twenty-five years of marriage, Joanna Harrison is lonely and tired of being a corporate wife. Her children are grown and gone, her husband is more married to his job than to her, and now they’re about to pack up once more. Panicked at the thought of having to start all over again, Joanna commits the first irresponsible act of her life. She runs away to Pawleys Island, South Carolina, a place she’s been to just once.

She finds a job as a live-in companion to Grace Finelli, a widow who has come to the island to fulfill a girlhood dream. Together the two women embark on the most difficult journey of their lives: Joanna struggling for independence, roots, and a future of her own, as her family tugs at her from afar; and Grace, choosing to live the remainder of her life for herself alone, knowing she may never see her children again.

Entwined is Paul Harrison’s story as he loses his wife, his job, and everything that defines him as a man. He takes off on his own journey out west, searching for the answers to all that has gone wrong in his life. One thing remains constant: He wants his wife back.

Joanna, however, is moving farther away from her old life as she joins a group dedicated to rescuing endangered loggerhead turtles, led by a charismatic fisherman unlike anyone she’s ever met.

The Richest Season is a stunning debut about three very different people, each changing their lives when such transformations are usually long over. It will resonate with any woman who’s ever fantasized about leaving home to find herself.

To enter the contest, comment on this article. To be entered twice, blog about it. The contest will run until Monday, August 11. The contest has been extended a few days beyond the norm because several of my “sisters” from my online book group, PageTurners, will be in town!!

Wendy!

Wendy, please email me directly at jenlaw77@earthlink.net with your address! Check in next week to win a copy of The Richest Season by Maryann McFadden!

Marika Vecera is a young war reporter driven by the danger experienced during her assignments. During a trip to the Congo, she is held captive by rebel soldiers and barely escapes with her life. She returns to the States, battered and beaten, mentally worn. Upon her return, she discovers that her idol/mentor Robert Lewis, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, has committed suicide. She devotes her life for the next several months to writing his biography. During her research, she discovers evidence that indicates Lewis is still alive, living in a remote village in Papua New Guinea. Drawn to the possibility that Lewis is still alive, Marika embarks on a journey not knowing what she will find. Her guide is Tobo, a medicine man, provides her with guidance along the way. During this journey, Marika learns a lot about humankind, and more importantly, herself. The White Mary is an incredibly powerful and empowering tale about one woman’s dedication to her career. While the scenes detailing the atrocities that are occurring clear across the world are difficult to read at times, the end result gives you an appreciation for all that we have as inhabitants of the “civilized” world.