“Winsome kids and family friends add depth and warmth to the well-developed cast of characters. Readers will eagerly await future offerings from this promising new author.”–Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
“Linden’s debut novel is a bittersweet tale of enduring friendship, family ties, and the complexities of love that will engage readers of thoughtful women’s fiction.”–Library Journal, STARRED review, Debut of the Month
When globetrotting photographer Magdalena Henry loses the only man she’s ever loved, she risks her stellar career to care for his widow and young children on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest.
Free-spirited and fiercely independent, Maggie adores her life of travel and adventure. But she has a secret. She can’t let go of her first and only love, renowned architect Marco Firelli, now married to her best friend Lena.
When Marco drowns in a kayaking accident, Maggie rushes to the Firelli family’s summer home on San Juan Island. Once there she discovers that Marco was hiding something that could destroy his family. As fragile, perfectionistic Lena slowly falls apart, Maggie tries to provide stability for Marco and Lena’s three young children.
When Maggie is offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to compete in the world’s most prestigious photography competition, she thinks she’s found the answer to their problems. Then Lena makes a choice with unexpected and devastating consequences, forcing Maggie to grapple with an agonizing decision. Does she sacrifice the golden opportunity of her career or abandon the Firellis just when they need her the most?
Gradually the island begins to work its magic. A century-old ritual to beckon loved ones home offers hope in the midst of sorrow. And a guilt-ridden yet compelling stranger hiding on the island may offer Maggie a second chance at love, but only if she can relinquish the past and move forward to find joy in unexpected places.
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Summary
From: Rebecca Maney
Book Title: Ascension of Larks
Book Author: Rachel Linden
What do you like about this book:
" . . . .remember I loved you enough to let you go."
How fitting, and yet how prophetic, because in the end it is Magdalena who learns the value of letting go.
Flying home from Managua, Nicaragua in response to the trembling voice of her best friend, internationally recognized photographer Maggie Henry cannot fully understand what life will be like for either of them without Marco Firelli. Maggie, Marco and Lena had been inseparable during college, but the unremitting connection between Marco and Maggie was severed the day that he married her best friend.
Having drowned while trying to rescue a man from a kayaking accident, Marco left his affairs in less than ideal order; internal conflict and financial burdens lurking below the surface, driving his overwhelmed widow into despair. Giving up a golden opportunity to enter a prestigious photography contest, Maggie grapples with the overwhelming need for a miracle, while sacrificing her own aspirations to make sure Marco's family is well tended. How unlikely, that another broken soul with an uncanny knowledge of the tragedy, should turn the tide for Magdalena.
"Ascension of Larks" plays a soulful melody, dark at times and pleasantly optimistic at others. Beautifully written, the story bleeds for eternal hope, but falls a bit short in the source, for there is only One who promises to be the "resurrection and the life".
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions stated are entirely my own.
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