Did You Ever Have a Family?

From Goodreads:

On the eve of her daughter’s wedding, June Reid’s life is completely devastated when a shocking disaster takes the lives of her daughter, her daughter’s fiancé, her ex-husband, and her boyfriend, Luke—her entire family, all gone in a moment. And June is the only survivor.

Alone and directionless, June drives across the country, away from her small Connecticut town. In her wake, a community emerges, weaving a beautiful and surprising web of connections through shared heartbreak.

From the couple running a motel on the Pacific Ocean where June eventually settles into a quiet half-life, to the wedding’s caterer whose bill has been forgotten, to Luke’s mother, the shattered outcast of the town—everyone touched by the tragedy is changed as truths about their near and far histories finally come to light.

 

From Me:

What a great read!  Although tragic and melancholy it's the kind of book you can't put down.  You must see how the characters connect (how life connects) and how help and hope can come from people, places and things we least expect.

 

One of my favorite passages  (and I know this sound depressing, but  to me, it was so touching and moving.  I guess you'll just have to read the book to find out.... )

And the stories will change and the canoe will become a headboard and the family will be mermaids and the rooms will be mansions.  And no one will remember us, who we were or what happened here. Sand will blow across Pacific Avenue and against the windows of  the Moonstone and new people will arrive and will walk down the beach to the great ocean.

 

Ack! It doesn't make much sense when you read it alone! But when you read it in the context of the story---you will be moved.  Trust me.

3.8 stars.