This week we are back to fiction with a book written by Karen White.  I have previously reviewed the book, The Sound of Glass by Karen White.  (https://cecooney.com/2015/04/17/the-sound-of-glass-by-karen-white/)  I enjoyed that book, so I looked forward to Sea Change.

I hesitate to classify Sea Change as a beach read. I usually think of beach reads as light as air and super easy to follow the plot.  The plot to Sea Change is a bit twisty.

The story is told from the perspective of three women. Ava, the main character, is a new bride who has moved to St. Simons Island, GA. She knows that her family lived on the island when she was a baby but she has not been back since. Ava has not known her husband, Matthew long. They met at a medical conference and fell in love immediately. Ave had been engaged to another man for 4 years but she knew when she met Matthew that he was the love of her life. When she moves into Matthew’s family home, she finds that she feels she has been there before. She also finds out that Matthew had been married before and that his wife (Adrienne) died in a car crash.  Ava meets Adrienne’s brother and learns that he and his parents believe that Matthew had something to do with Adrienne’s death.

Gloria is Ava’s mother. It is apparent that she has a secret that she is keeping from Ava. She lives across the state of Georgia from Ava in the town that Ava grew up in. She lives with her husband and mother. Her four sons (who are much older than Ava) are married and live in the neighborhood with Gloria. Gloria is a gardener. She spends hours in her garden and Ava used to be out in the garden with her all the time. Mimi is Gloria’s conscience. She urges her to talk to Ava.

Pamela is a midwife in 1805. She loves her husband, Geoffrey and her son Robbie. At the start of the story, her sister, Georgina lives with them. Geoffrey and Georgina had dated before Geoffrey and Pamela met but for a reason that Pamela doesn’t know, they broke up. While Pamela loves her sister, they don’t necessarily get along. Geoffrey and Pamela are Matthew’s great great great great grandparents.

The blending of these stories leads to the present day and Ava’s life. Ava and Matthew have struggled along the way as she doesn’t understand his reluctance to talk about Adrienne and he seems to hide things that had been Adrienne’s. When Matthew hypnotizes Ava to find out about her medical history, there are consequences that are unexpected.

The book is good and easy to understand and follow despite what could be a confusing plot. The plot ins and outs are handled very well. So, all in all, a good read but might be a bit more complicated than what I would normally think of as a beach read.

Thanks for reading!