“Catch me!” she screamed, absolutely fearless, utterly delighted.” (p. 87)
Isabella is a precocious five-year-old that steals your heart from the very first pages of Gina Holmes’ debut novel, Crossing Oceans. She is the only daughter of Jenny Lucas, and Jenny has returned to her parent’s home after a long, six-year silence. Isabella, or Bella, is meeting her Grandpa, her Great-grandmother and her father for the first time, and she meets them with the same fearless abandon as she does most any event in her short life. She gets her strength from her fearless mother.
Jenny returns home carrying heart-breaking news. Amid the emotional strain of her situation, she must face a broken relationship with her father, memories of her deceased mother and the Isabella’s father – who doesn’t know he’s a father – and his wife, Lindsey. The emotions are taut throughout the story, for a variety of reasons, but Gina Holmes creates each character and crafts each scene with such tenderness and poignancy that you will welcome the heartache. And your heart will ache!
Jenny and Isabella are two of the bravest people I’ve ever met in fiction. In truth, the entire cast of characters in this story has to reach way beyond what the human heart should have to bear. It’s an amazing testimony of the grace God provides when life demands extra strength and mercy, and it carries your heart to painful and beautiful moments of memory and longing. This is a powerful story. One you will relish, cherish, re-read and share. And you will never, ever forget Jenny Lucas and her precious, precious daughter Isabella!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gina Holmes began her career in 1998, penning articles and short stories. In 2005 she founded the influential literary blog, Novel Journey. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her husband and children in southern Virginia. To learn more about her, visit www.ginaholmes.com or www.noveljourney.blogspot.com.
1 comment:
Your review made me smile. Such a stellar book.
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