Another life by Kristin Hannah

Another Life by renowned author Kristin Hannah will pull at the heartstrings of many readers. Two very different characters, one on the cusp of adulthood and a difficult home situation and the other suffering from a series of personal losses, will connect in the small coastal town of West End.

Angie Malone (formerly DeSaria) has returned home to West End after her divorce. Her marriage to Conlan could not stand the strain of the loss of their baby and their inevitable childlessness. Her large Italian family rally around her and as the family restaurant, the pride and joy of her beloved recently deceased father, is in financial trouble they ask Angie to help them to transform how it operates. This will be a challenge as Angie is up against her formidable mother who struggles with the idea of change.

Seventeen-year-old Lauren Ribido lives on the wrong side of town with a mother who blames Lauren for all the wrong things in her life. Lauren is determined not to turn out like her mother and has won a scholarship to a prestigious secondary college where she has been dating the wealthy David for the past four years. Lauren holds down a job, tries to cover the rent, lives from day-to-day with very little, achieves high grades and is struggling to support her mother. Life for this proud, resilient girl is tough.

Angie and Lauren connect in a way that will bring hope through the darkest of times. Through Angie’s intuition and perseverance, she forms at first a working relationship then friendship with Lauren and finally they become a family. But it is not all smooth sailing and hard life lessons with deep emotional outcomes are learned a long their intertwining journey.

Themes: Relationships, Family, Grief, Connections, Teenage Pregnancy, Hope.

Kathryn Beilby