Distant Shores: A Novel

Happy with my new book Amazon has it all . No folds or creases. Fast delivery. Kristen Hannah is my favorite author.

As always the character development caught me immediately. She explored the lives and marriage of these two people deeply, often I read exchanges between them that I have experienced in my own life. It was as if the Author sat in and took notes. It is apparent like the Shores, they were not unique. Good stories come from reality and actual life experiences, even novels. My guess is that this Author has an extensive group of close friends, knows how to listen, is a strong observer of the human condition, and steps out beyond just the angry of exchanges but see's the basic realities of their lives. And the commonality which readers see in their own life experiences. I also find it interesting that her books are referred to as romantic novels, chick books, all comments to minimize that this author is a great story teller and her content does not exclude men. The lush environments influence the story telling and add a richness to the story. She touches issues close to all of us. I still think about Winter Garden which I read a long time ago. I found the background extremely engaging and the research made the story that much richer.The connection between families, sisters and loved ones separated for various reasons, all seem to come back to deep bonds. And remind you of the importance of connections and deep bonds. We know so much about sibling games, roles of the youngest, the middle and older children. Sadly for many over coming these road blocks to bonding, are often hard. And mishap prevents the connection, especially if a sibling dies unexpectedly. Though some of her books captured my interest more then others, the character development always makes you feel like a part of the family. Some stories made sharp turns which surprised me like True Colors. I think I have probably read almost everyone she has written, I can't loose sight of the characters and how they relate to myself, people I know or have known. A women's voice is unique, the experiences of this author obviously run deep, I must admit I enjoy when she reintroduces a character like the divorce attorney into her stories. It somehow seems to tie all her books into a current reality and circle of life. Even guys can shed tears at the sad and tender moments.

A beautiful story that will not let you down. This author knows how to tell an emotional truth about life and love.

Love the author, just wasn't one of her better books for my taste.

The joy of marriage can easily fade over time. Consideration and compromise, understanding and acceptance all play a big part. Elizabeth “Birdie” and Jackson Shore met at Washington State University. Birdie was an art student with aspirations in the Arts. Jack was the star quarterback. They fell in love and married while still in college. Jack was drafted to the NFL which saw Birdie give up her aspirations to move to the east coast with her superstar husband. A blown knee and subsequent addiction to pain killers saw Jack’s stardom take a dive. The great life they enjoyed was on a slide with Jack moving from town to town working for small time media outlets. During this period they had 2 daughters, Stephanie and Jamie. Their moves had eventually taken them to Echo Beach, Oregon. The girls were both in college over on the east coast. Birdie had become the dutiful housewife throughout Jack’s career and personal demons, raising the family and supporting Jack in all the moves. Working for a small media outlet in Portland, Jack stumbled on a story that kicked started his career. He was offered a position on a new sports show out of New York, accepting it with glee. Of course he didn’t consult his wife, he knew she would be happy for him, as always, and jump on the opportunity to move back to the big apple. As much as she still loved Jack, Birdie had settled into life on the Oregon coast. It was obvious Jack was set on the New York job. She had a big decision to make. Move back to New York a place she hated, to support her husband or stay in Oregon. So, would she relent yet again or, for once, stand her ground. Their marriage was in danger of falling apart. What decision would Birdie make? Where was her marriage headed?

A story that mothers can maybe identify with.. losing oneself in raising your family. This book brought many emotions for me. I didn’t want to like it because I didn’t like where the story was going. I didn’t like the path the character Jack was going. I didn’t care for Elizabeth’s nickname. There were lots of aspects I didn’t like but the underlying story that came through was a good message. Both Elizabeth and Jack had to find themselves before they could find each other.

Loved it, riveting and as lovely as all of her other books. I sure Could not put it down! Tom

A great story of love and life. Beautifully written and so real. I’m sure many will relate to losing themselves in a relationship, of lost dreams due to putting yourself second, third or fourth.