Review: Heartrending and hopeful
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 3, 2013
The story centers around Maggie Gray who grew up in Bishop Street Orphanage. Abandoned at seven when her mother chose a boyfriend over raising her daughter, Maggie is now a successful author. An emotional meltdown and recurring nightmares brings her to the decision to locate and reconnect with three friends she hasn't seen in twenty years.A private investigator has located each person and provided a brief report on how they are doing. Maggie's journey to reconnect with each person is fraught with tension, memories, and fear. Each of the children were at the orphanage for different reasons, reasons that have left mental and emotional scars that have shaped who they are as adults.This story is definitely not one in my preferred genre, but every once in a while, I try to step outside my comfort zone and explore something else. I was uncomfortable when the characters had flashbacks of the abuse and bullying that occurred the orphanage. None of the four children grew up unscathed by the abuse or the bullying from other kids.This was not a story that held me in its grip from start to finish. There were points in the story where I had to set the book down and take my mind off what had been done to them as children. Although outside of my preferred genre, this was surprisingly, a good story. It felt as though the author either had first hand knowledge or researched her subject matter very well.There were several errors missed in the proofreading/editing phase that got in the way of enjoying the story. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.