ONE SUMMER

by David Baldacci

Lately at the Ferron Library we have been trying some new authors with mixed results. But an old favorite that hasn't disappoint me is David Baldacci. This week I read his new book One Summer with excitement.

One Summer isn't like his usual books; it deals with a family and their struggles. Jack Armstrong is terminally ill and trying to live until Christmas. Then life or death takes an unexpected turn. A loving family is torn apart.

If you are looking for a suspense book (like David Baldacci usually writes) then this isn't for you, but if you are looking for a book that is enjoyable and easy to read give this one a try. I found it to be bittersweet, like families sometimes are.

The Goodbye Quilt

by Susan Wiggs

Linda Davis loved everything about being a mother and raising her daughter. Now it is time to let her go. The two of them are driving cross-country to drop Molly off at college. This book is about Linda finishing a quilt to give to daughter using materials that have meaning to them both, she even took off the dog's kerchief to put on her quilt. The quilt and the memories make this book interesting and tug at this mother's heart strings.

I can remember when my kids were leaving home how sad I felt that things were changing: they wouldn't be part of my daily life and I wouldn't be part of theirs.

Ferron Library,

Colleen Murdock

Night Road

by Kristin Hannah

For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices.

To hold on...

To let go...

To forget...

To forgive...

Which road will you take?

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children's needs above her own, and it shows--her twins, Mia and Zach--are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia's best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.

Jude does everything to keep her kids safe and on track for college. It has always been easy--until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.

On a hot summer's night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget...or the courage to forgive.

NIGHT ROAD is vivid, emotionally complex novel that raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it take to forgive the people we love.

Becky Jewkes