Reviewed by Martha Artyomenko
Book Description
Guilt may be the most dangerous motive of all.
On a rainy night seventeen years after his wife’s presumed suicide, Garrett Becker sees her walking down the street. A car accident snatches him away from this world before he can reach her.
Marina has spent her whole life mothering her brother, who suffers from an anxiety disorder. After their father’s accident, they face losing their home-the only place Dylan’s fears are held at bay.
Crushing debt is just one of their father’s secrets. Old keepsakes lead Dylan to believe their mother is alive and lives nearby. Sara Rochester is a successful chocolatier who doesn’t dwell on her past and never expected the resurrection of its ghosts. But after Dylan confronts her, Sara consents to parent the only way she knows how: with money, chocolate, and a gross deficit of experience.
Sara’s hesitant presence divides Marina and Dylan. Marina doesn’t believe that Sara is their mother. The woman’s paper-thin lies suggest she might even be responsible for their mother’s death. When Marina’s suspicions spark an investigation, no one is prepared for the tragic truth or the powerful redemption that Marina’s actions expose.
Narrated by a storyteller with more to lose than any other character, Motherless is a richly layered mystery about the power of perception-and deception-among people seeking forgiveness for irreversible sins.
About the Author
Erin Healy is the bestselling coauthor of Burn and Kiss (with Ted Dekker) and an award-winning editor for many bestselling authors. She is a member of ACFW and Academy of Christian Editors. Her novels include such thrilling stories as Never Let You Go, The Baker’s Wife, Stranger Things, and Motherless. She and her family live in Colorado.
My Review:
Erin Healy’s books are unique. One of the things that makes them unique for me is that often they require extra brain power to understand the path the story is taking. Her words catch you, entrap you in a snare that pulls you in despite the irritation of having to work to sometimes follow the storyline. In the end, you cannot believe you thought about setting the story down.
This story builds on itself. Mental Illness, paranoia, mystery and a supernatural being all have a place in this book.
At first, I was struggling as I mentioned, with the story. But something about the book, drew me and I couldn’t put it down until I was finished. The true feelings that the writer describes are throughout this story. The helpless feeling of a person married to a mentally ill spouse. You start to doubt yourself and wonder if what you believe happened, really did happen. In this story, she will have the reader doubting the story. I am not sure what genre to really classify this book, but it was similar in style to Ms. Healy’s earlier book The Baker’s Wife.
This book was given to me for review by BookLook Bloggers. The opinions contained herein are my own.
