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Kirkus Indie

A vibrant landscape of a family shattered by divorce, letting time and choices bring the pieces back together in moving on or letting go. Ward's (Hunger, 2001) second novel begins from the perspective of Jack Manoli, lying on his deathbed in the condo he shares with his much younger second wife, Sylvie. His love for Sylvie, his former-secretary-turned-business-partner-and-wife, is absorbing and passionate enough to have caused Jack to start up an affair many years ago and leave his children, Mark and Shelley, with their unstable mother. Upon Jack's death, his now-adult children are left to decide what is to become of the Rockport lake house that was Sylvie and Jack's sanctuary, the foundation where their affair solidified into a life together and the site full of bad memories for Mark, as it was where father and son's relationship broke apart. For Mark, a pot-smoking mosaic artist, art imitates life; his anger is dangerously bottled up, destroying his relationship with his live-in girlfriend just as he shatters ceramic and glass for his mosaic landscapes. Shelley is a teacher working tirelessly to protect her younger brother and create the family life she never had for her husband and two daughters. She hopes to help Mark find a balance "somewhere in between perfection and devastation" creating a reality "where all the many pieces of us--the pleasant and painful--can be reconfigured into an imperfect but solid-enough life"-- something their father also strived to create in choosing Sylvie. Ward fashions characters with rich detail, allowing each to leave a distinct impression. While not always likable (Sylvie comes off as a selfish stepmother at times), they are nonetheless genuine. Building layer upon layer of each family member's story, Ward shows the complexity of divorce from all sides, even revisiting Jack's thoughts throughout the book. Mark and Shelley are faced with what to do with the lake house and whether to shed the hurt caused by their father's choices by making new choices for themselves to gain happiness, peace and, ultimately, freedom. A rich, complex novel that mixes art and life into a story about the decisions that lead to healing or hurt.

-Kirkus Indie Reviews, September 7, 2011

Publisher’s Weekly

When Jack Manoli was a young man, he left his wife—and two children, Shelley and Mark—to marry his secretary, Sylvie. Years later, when Jack dies of cancer, Shelley has managed to find peace with her father, while Mark still clings to anger and abandonment. Further complicating matters, Jack bequeaths his and widowed Sylvie's summer home to Shelley and Mark. Now Sylvie, Mark, and Shelley must struggle to come to terms with one another and the past. This is an exceptionally well-crafted novel, a delicate story, and a fine exploration of divorce, forgiveness, happiness, and loss. The relationships between the characters are thoughtfully constructed, and Ward's decision to alternate among points of view provides an invaluable window to character growth and evolution. Perhaps the only underdeveloped character is Sylvie, who remains more an object (of love or resentment) than a fully realized individual. This is unfortunate, because it's her perspective that many readers will find most intriguing. 

-Publishers Weekly, Reviewed on: 10/17/2011

“This is an exceptionally well-crafted novel, a delicate story, and a fine exploration of divorce, forgiveness, happiness, and loss. The relationships between the characters are thoughtfully constructed, and Ward's decision to alternate among points of view provides an invaluable window to character growth and evolution.”

-Publisher's Weekly, Reviewed on 10/17/2011

“Ward deftly portrays the psychological dynamics of this broken family. This contemplative novel shows that the damage of divorce can endure for decades, but sometimes it can be resolved satisfactorily. Readers will find the book engrossing, as well as enlightening.”

-Margaret Cullison, ForeWord Clarion Reviews

“Building layer upon layer of each family member's story, Ward shows the complexity of divorce from all sides, even revisiting Jack's thoughts throughout the book. Mark and Shelley are faced with what to do with the lake house and whether to shed the hurt caused by their father's choices by making new choices for themselves to gain happiness, peace and, ultimately, freedom. A rich, complex novel that mixes art and life into a story about the decisions that lead to healing or hurt.”

-Kirkus Indie Reviews, September 7, 2011