Young love means everything... until it leaves you with nothing.
The summer before her senior year of high school, Laney Jacobs and her best friend jump from a six-story beachside cliff in an attempt to impress their boyfriends. Laney rose from the water. Her friend did not.
Six years later, when Laney’s troubled mother’s memoir hits the bestseller list airing the family’s destructive secrets, Laney is forced to relive the trauma, this time in the public eye. To escape the scrutiny, she seeks shelter at her estranged grandmother’s seaside inn. But she can’t reconcile the loving woman with the heartless parent in her mother’s book. As she looks for answers, the ex-boyfriend who’d witnessed her darkest days reappears, stirring up both pain and hope.
When her mother's vindictive fans threaten her grandmother's livelihood and the lighthouse Laney has come to love, she turns to the century-old words of a young lighthouse keeper to help her find the courage to move forward. But once truths from the past come to light and old love finds new beginnings, will Laney discover that forgiveness is the only way toward true healing?
The summer before her senior year of high school, Laney Jacobs and her best friend jump from a six-story beachside cliff in an attempt to impress their boyfriends. Laney rose from the water. Her friend did not.
Six years later, when Laney’s troubled mother’s memoir hits the bestseller list airing the family’s destructive secrets, Laney is forced to relive the trauma, this time in the public eye. To escape the scrutiny, she seeks shelter at her estranged grandmother’s seaside inn. But she can’t reconcile the loving woman with the heartless parent in her mother’s book. As she looks for answers, the ex-boyfriend who’d witnessed her darkest days reappears, stirring up both pain and hope.
When her mother's vindictive fans threaten her grandmother's livelihood and the lighthouse Laney has come to love, she turns to the century-old words of a young lighthouse keeper to help her find the courage to move forward. But once truths from the past come to light and old love finds new beginnings, will Laney discover that forgiveness is the only way toward true healing?
MY THOUGHTS.....
Emotional, entertaining, and enlightening. These are just a few of the words that come to mind after reading this book. Author Heidi Chiavoroli tells the stories of two young women, more than a century apart, who find love, hope, and eventually peace at a Maine lighthouse. It is a dual timeline novel with two intriguing young women: the present-day Laney Jacobs and the historic true-life heroine, Abbey Burgess. Romance is present but this isn't a light read! Chiavaroli introduces some heavy topics, including drug addiction, accidental death, extreme guilt, and self-harm but she treats them with good taste and sensitivity. The Way Back is thought-provoking but never sensationalized; heart-wrenching but never without faith and hope.
I enjoyed the contemporary story, but I loved the historical details surrounding teenager Abbey Burgess and her valiant efforts to keep a lighthouse operational in the mid-1880s. I was also inspired by the powerful faith message that plays such an important role in both women's lives. The Way Back is a book that I couldn't put down and it's a fantastic introduction to a new series! I look forward to reading more books in the Lights of Acadia series.
I received an ARC from the author. There was no obligation for a positive review.
I enjoyed the contemporary story, but I loved the historical details surrounding teenager Abbey Burgess and her valiant efforts to keep a lighthouse operational in the mid-1880s. I was also inspired by the powerful faith message that plays such an important role in both women's lives. The Way Back is a book that I couldn't put down and it's a fantastic introduction to a new series! I look forward to reading more books in the Lights of Acadia series.
I received an ARC from the author. There was no obligation for a positive review.
Heidi Chiavaroli is a hope-inspired storyteller writing from the deep curiosity of her own heart. Her debut novel, Freedom's Ring, was a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist, a Romantic Times Top Pick, and a Booklist Top Ten Romance Debut. Her Carol award-winning novel, The Orchard House, inspired her to create The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast Series, a contemporary twist on Little Women. Heidi makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband and two sons.
Visit her online at heidichiavaroli.com.
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