Not at all what I was expecting, this was mostly a novel about parenting teenagers, about chronic depression, and about starting over.
Eight years ago, Annie left her husband and two children thinking that she was no good for them and that they would be much better off without her in their lives. She was spiralling under the black cloak of depression and was suicidal. She left with every intention of ending her own life, yet, when she drove and drove, her blackness lessened somewhat and she postponed her death and made a shell of life in New Mexico. She teaches online courses to make ends meet.
Now, she learns that her husband, Joel, has died. Wanting to see that her children are okay, she drives up to Washington State to check on them. She doesn’t want to upend their lives, but just wants to view them from afar to assure herself that her sister-in-law and her husband are treating them well. Things don’t go as planned, and she actually interacts with her now teenage children. Her son seems overjoyed at her return, yet her daughter is not so welcoming…
Only planning to stay a day or two, the time lengthens and Annie ends up looking for a temporary place to live in her old hometown. She ends up renting from a former schoolmate, Wic Dubray, a man who lives with his mother who has suffered a stroke. He returned to his home to care for her.
Annie quickly becomes friends with Mina, Wic’s mother, and finds herself caring for Wic more than she wants to. Her primary focus MUST be her children and finding a way to co-exist with them that will suit all parties involved. Meanwhile, her depression is ever present and she struggles with it on a daily basis.
I really enjoyed reading Annie’s story which was related with a bleak, though honest and authentic voice. Annie’s life, though so very far from ‘perfect’ is something to cherish, to value. Parenting teenagers is a challenge for most parents, but one who has not been in their lives for the previous eight years, and fighting depression, the challenge is monumental…
Basically a novel of depression and how it affects not just the depressed person, but all those family and friends who care for the afflicted individual. It is also a story of fresh starts, hope, and yes, even romance.
A family drama that will entertain readers with its authenticity. Recommended.
This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Red Adept Publishing via email. This is a title from my extensive backlist of review commitments.
Publication date: March 7, 2022
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
ISBN: 9781948051842 ASIN: B09RJPYQY7 – 320 pages
Anna E. Collins was born and raised in Sweden, where she spent her early years hounding the local librarians for new reads. One American husband, two children, and two international moves later, she realized she had her own stories to tell, and once that proverbial lid was opened, there was no closing it again. She put her master’s degree in educational psychology on the shelf and picked up the pen.
Anna currently resides in the Seattle area, where she writes about the lives and inner workings of women—their hopes, dreams, journeys, and relationships. Her goal is to make readers both laugh and cry. In 2019, she was a Golden Heart finalist.
When not writing, reading, or raising humans, she can be found exploring other creative pursuits like painting, woodworking, and baking as well as endlessly brushing her mini goldendoodle, Archie, who is a Very Good Boy.
Connect with Anna E. Collins via Twitter and/or Instagram.
Discover more from Fictionophile
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
