Stargazey Point: A Novel
Slow-paced yet with a nicely detailed setting, Noble’s second novel explores how hearts can heal despite the deepest wounds. Abbie Sinclair traveled the world shooting documentaries until a horrific tragedy sent her back to the U.S. Reeling from shock, grief, and feelings of guilt, she finds her way through a friend to Stargazey Point, South Carolina, a dying little town with an eroded beachfront, shuttered businesses, an old carousel with its lights long dimmed, and distinctly interesting residents. The gracious yet somewhat eccentric Crispin siblings, septuagenarians Millie, Marnie, and Beau, open their home to Abbie, where she finds a safe mooring to regain her emotional bearings. Cab Reynolds harbors suspicions that Abbie is a greedy land developer out to snare the Crispins and their rundown yet stately home. A host of characters passes through Abbie’s stay, each one creating an impression on her soul that just might lead her out of the darkness of her past and into a new life of hope. Richly layered, this should appeal to fans of large-cast southern reads. --Julie Trevelyan