On This Day »

Melody Carlson is the author of numerous titles, including Finding Alice and Crystal Lies. Her best-selling novel, Homeward, won the Rita Award from Romance Writers of America. She and her husband, the parents of two grown sons, make their home in Central Oregon.

As One Marriage Begins,
Five Others Are Put to the Test.

Drawn to Lakeside Inn from a variety of locations as diverse as they are, Elizabeth Anderson, Suzette Burke, Ingrid Campbell, Margaret Simpson, and Laura Fairbanks–the bride’s aunt, family friend, bridesmaid, grandmother of the bride, and sister of the groom–seemingly share little more than their collective joy for the couple marrying at the mountain resort. During the course of one unforgettable day, however, each woman reaches a point of reckoning in her own most intimate relationship.

As their stories unfold, the women of necessity turn to one another–upholding each other through the pain of postpartum depression, doubts about an upcoming wedding, the discovery of a husband’s affair, reflections on the ups and downs of life as a war bride, and plans to end a 25-year marriage. Through it all, their connection with one another deepens and grows, as does their understanding of themselves and of the healing power of love, perseverance, and friendship.

Publishers Weekly

Carlson, who is well-known for her Diary of a Teenage Girl and True Colors series for the YA market, is back in the realm of adult inspirational fiction with this light, quick read, which follows five women through one wedding at a lakeside inn. The women are each connected to the bride in some way-her aunt, her best friend, her grandmother, her new sister-in-law and her fiance's boss's wife. And each woman is tackling relationship problems of her own: Elizabeth questions the value of her marriage; Ingrid wonders if she is engaged to the wrong man; recently widowed Margaret misses her dear husband; Laura feels out of place with her wealthy in-laws; and Suzette suspects her husband is cheating on her. Most of their individual stories come to a crisis point and are resolved in the course of the day. Though Carlson is known as a Christian writer, faith plays a minor role; it's rarely referred to and isn't a visible part of most of the characters' lives. The story progresses seamlessly as it moves from character to character, changing narrators with each chapter. In the end, while most of the characters are likeable, they lack depth and distinctiveness, and readers may understand their feelings without really empathizing. (Feb. 21) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.