The Sound Of Glass by Karen White– 432 pages
Book Blurb:
It has been two years since the death of Merritt Heyward’s husband, Cal, when she receives unexpected news—Cal’s family home in Beaufort, South Carolina, bequeathed by Cal’s reclusive grandmother, now belongs to Merritt. Charting the course of an uncertain life—and feeling guilt from her husband’s tragic death—Merritt travels from her home in Maine to Beaufort, where the secrets of Cal’s unspoken-of past reside among the pluff mud and jasmine of the ancestral Heyward home on the Bluff. This unknown legacy, now Merritt’s, will change and define her as she navigates her new life—a new life complicated by the arrival of her too young stepmother and ten-year-old half-brother. Soon, in this house of strangers, Merritt is forced into unraveling the Heyward family past as she faces her own fears and finds the healing she needs in the salt air of the Low Country.
My Review: 3.5 stars
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The Sound Of Glass is an absolute perfect summer read. I first learned of Karen White two years ago while vacationing in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The condo we rented was stocked full of her books and I quickly learned why. They are the epitome of a perfect vacation read and seems they all take place in the South.
I very much enjoyed the under current of mystery and how all the characters’ lives were oddly connected. Being told from three different POVs allowed the reader to learn something integral to the storyline as well as about each of their personal stories. The book ultimately dealt with forgiveness, the strength and courage to move forward and domestic violence.
Loralee was a standout character and her “mama’s sayings” were all spot on. She was the stereotypical characterization of a much younger second wife by her dress and makeup choices, yet instead she had the courage, wisdom and strength to be the perfect friend, mother or daughter.
At a couple points during the book I was ready to move forward and have things hurry up already. It is 432 pages after all! I also had some moments where things just didn’t make sense. I mean in 2014, even if you and your intended kept your backgrounds private, surely you’d take some time to do some Facebook or internet stalking. Right?
Even though I’d say it was somewhat formulaic, as is usual of this genre, my suggestion would be to not think so hard and just escape with the story.
Quotes I liked:
Sometimes it’s necessary to tell a lie when the truth will break a heart.”
_”There was something about the past: the reassurance that others had lived and loved and survived before me gave me something to cling to in the present.”
-“…life is a lot like the interstate, where every exit is an entrance someplace else.”
-“Sugar, your clothes should always be tight enough to show that you’re a woman, but loose enough to show that you’re a lady.”
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