The youngest of three daughters, Angela DeSaria Malone was always “the princess” of the family, a girl who thought she knew how her life would unfold. High School. College. Marriage. Motherhood. That was how it had gone for her sisters, her cousins, her friends. But it didn’t work out that way for Angie. She and her husband tried desperately to have a child; year after year, their perfectly decorated nursery remained empty. Finally, their marriage collapsed under the weight of lost dreams. After the divorce, Angie moved back to her hometown and rejoined her loud, loving, slightly crazy family. In West End, a place where life rises and falls in time with the tides, she will find the man who once again will open her heart to love . . . and meet the girl who will change Angie’s life. Lauren Ribido lives in a rundown apartment in a bad part of town with a mother who cares more about her next drink than about her daughter. At seventeen, Lauren knows that her aspirations in life may never come to pass. From the moment they meet, Angie sees something special in Lauren. They form a quick connection, this woman who is desperate for a daughter and the girl who has never known a mother’s love. When Lauren is abandoned by her mother, Angie doesn’t hesitate to offer the girl a place to stay. But nothing could have prepared Angie for the far-reaching repercussions of this act of kindness. In a dramatic turn of events, she and Lauren will be tested in a way that mothers and daughters seldom are. Together they will embark on an intensely moving, deeply emotional journey to the very heart of what it means to be a family.
Download and start listening now!
"Another incredibly great read by Kristin Hannah, another story one can easily relate to, one that pulls on the heartstrings....and without giving anything away, the story turned out exactly as I would have ended it, the way I prayed the whole time, while getting to know the characters, that it would all fall into place. Thank you, Kristin, for another wonderful weekend read and gor sharing your incredible talent with all of us....I have definitely found my favorite author."
— Ina (5 out of 5 stars)
" Another book with likable characters. A pretty quick read, but you need to be on your toes to keep track of who's doing what. "
— Sara, 2/17/2014" Good book, easy read. Book about motherhood & family. "
— Bridget, 2/15/2014" I liked this book well enough, and would recommend it. Kind of sad that two people who were in love can't make it work because they can't conceive a child. Then Angie meets a young girl who is in need of kindness. A close bond is formed, and Angie regains her life back. "
— Cheryl, 2/12/2014" Absorbing plot, but not a great writer, and too much crying! "
— Michelle, 2/10/2014" This was the first work of Kristin Hannah that I ever read and I fell inlove with her stories since then. A very wonderful story of two women, one who longs for a child and one who longs for a mother's love. "
— Joanne, 1/31/2014" Oh! Such a good book. So torn with the ending and what I wanted to happen! "
— Denise, 1/29/2014" This was not my favorite Kristin Hannah book, but it was okay. It was pretty predictable and the story seemed to drag on. But I have to admit I was surprised at the ending and a few of the events throughout. "
— Monica, 1/28/2014" not as good as Firefly Lane or Magic Hour, but still good "
— Emily, 1/21/2014" It's been a long time since I spent the whole day reading the same book, but that's what I did here! This book just keeps you reading and reading. It's an amazing read. Kristin Hannah has become one of my fave authors these days. "
— Jen, 1/18/2014" Quick read that passed the time... "
— Carla, 1/14/2014" Okay but forgettable. I enjoyed while reading it but not one I will remember. "
— Cindy, 1/12/2014" Loved the topic and the way this novel played out. "
— Michelle, 1/5/2014" Kristin Hannah for the win. Each book I read by this author just makes me love her more and more. It takes a true writer to write emotion that is so captivating you could be right there with the characters. That is the case with this book, I was right there the entire time. "
— Olivia, 1/3/2014" This book was a very fast read but she is one of my favorite authors "
— Nickolecox, 12/31/2013" I really like Kristin Hannah's books. This wasn't my favorite, but a good read! "
— Jessica, 12/23/2013" Great story. A girls book, but well written and grabs you right from the beinning. "
— Janet, 12/21/2013" fast enjoyable beach read for me---how many of these can I read this summer to up my avg!! "
— Nikki, 11/30/2013" my head was spinning. my stomach had butterflies. i enjoyed all of the characters. thought i had it all figured out...but noooo. totally got some surprises. "
— Tara, 10/21/2013" Duh, of course I loved this book, Kristin Hannah wrote it. I loved the characters, the emotions, everything. "
— Megan, 1/5/2013" It was very predictable but I still really liked it. I'm a sucker for happy endings! "
— Christina, 12/12/2012" I loved this book. It was wonderful. Love Kristin Hannah! "
— Laura, 9/28/2012" dumb ending "
— Shelby, 8/15/2012" Yet another Kristin Hannah book that had me bawling like a baby at the end...The ending of this book was fantastic, but getting up to it was really good. I thought this book was going one way and the ending surprised me. "
— Naomi, 6/19/2012" great book.. it show u, how sometimes u do sacrifices to make some u luv happy! "
— Betsy, 4/29/2012" easy read. predictable but pleasant. "
— Chrissy, 4/19/2012" A lot of similarities to Firefly Lane -- nonetheless I wanted to dive right through it "
— Danielle, 4/17/2012" This book reminded me of a sappy Lifetime movie. The writing was rather simple and not very interesting. I did read it rather quickly and wanted to find out what happened next, but it was not a great read. A beach read, perhaps, but not much more than that. "
— Kim, 2/9/2012" This book is pretty cute. I didn't expect the ending but actually really liked it. "
— Joy, 1/21/2012" Another great Kristin Hannah book!! It took me a while to get into, but once I did I loved it! "
— Slybtrfly14, 10/4/2011" I wanted to climb through this book and hug both of the main characters! It was so heart-wrenching at times, but a great story. Loved it! "
— Debi, 9/5/2011" I liked this book, but it was very obvious where it was going, and I felt the ending was very abrupt. "
— Lindsay, 6/12/2011" good book. a little predictable towards the last 1/3rd of the book, but it definitely held my attn.<br/> "
— Amy, 5/22/2011" I usually love Kristin Hannah, but can't add this to my favorites list. The storyline was intriguing enough, but the ending was very predictable. "
— Lisa, 5/10/2011" I love Kristin Hannah. However, this book bored me. It was just really slow, and what should have been a heartbreaking story, was just blah. The ending was fantastic, but it took until then to see any strong emotions. "
— Krista, 5/4/2011" Really enjoyed this one...both the writing and the story were great. "
— Heather, 5/2/2011" If this would have been the first Kristin Hannah book I had read, I would have never picked up another one. The writing is terrible, poor editing and no character development. Didn't feel for the characters at all. "
— Kelly, 4/26/2011" There were a few glaring inconsistencies in this book - editor should have caught that! But, it was an enjoyable Kristin Hannah book. "
— Jaxmarie, 4/25/2011" This book reminded me of a sappy Lifetime movie. The writing was rather simple and not very interesting. I did read it rather quickly and wanted to find out what happened next, but it was not a great read. A beach read, perhaps, but not much more than that. "
— Kim, 4/18/2011" I loved the resolution of this book. It was the perfect ending - it was just the characters who could not see it. Perhaps a little too saccharine. "
— Maureen, 4/14/2011" Once again....Kristin Hannah has done it. Made me stay up until 2:15 am to finish one of her books. Could not put it down. Had to know how Angie and Conlan and Lauren and the DeSaria family ended up. Loved it! "
— Stephanie, 4/12/2011" I liked this book and enjoyed the story. However, I don't think it was great. Thought the ending was predictble, but was surprised. "
— Cheryl, 4/7/2011" Only slightly entertaining. Completely predictable and self-conscious - a main character who is self-absorbed and unsympathetic, even though she suffers her own hardships. Not recommended. "
— Lisa, 4/6/2011" Great as always by Kristin!! "
— Heather, 3/30/2011" great book. i especially loved that the family in the book is italian lol talking about foccacia, and lasagna! mmmmm "
— Keri, 3/22/2011" I really liked this book. I read it in two days! "
— Crystal, 3/20/2011" It was easy read and I loved the story. <br/> "
— Jennifer, 3/11/2011Kristin Hannah, a former lawyer turned writer, is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels, including The Women, The Nightingale, The Great Alone, and The Four Winds.
Susan Ericksen is an actor and voice-over artist. She has been awarded numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. As an actor and director, she has worked in theaters throughout the country.