4 Star
When an impoverished school district loses its accreditation and the affluent community of Crystal Ridge has no choice but to open their school doors, the lives of three very different women converge: Camille Gray--the wife of an executive, mother of three, long-standing PTA chairwoman and champion fundraiser--faced with a shocking discovery that threatens to tear her picture-perfect world apart at the seams. Jen Covington, the career nurse whose long, painful journey to motherhood finally resulted in adoption but she is struggling with a happily-ever-after so much harder than she anticipated. Twenty-two-year-old Anaya Jones--the first woman in her family to graduate college and a brand new teacher at Crystal Ridge's top elementary school, unprepared for the powder-keg situation she's stepped into. Tensions rise within and without, culminating in an unforeseen event that impacts them all.
Kathryn - 4 Star
No one ever asked by Katie Ganshert was a big surprised to me. Not only was I fully engrossed by the story but I was impressed with the tackling of such diverse points of view. This is my first read of this author and I was impressed.
The three women come from different backgrounds and face different obstacles but all are affected by the same district reorganization of their schooling system. It was a tough subject to tackle and I think Ganshert did it with grace. I'm not completely sure all voices could be considered one hundred percent authentic but I found each one fascinating as I'm not in a position to relate to any of them.
I tend to be inclined to give anyone the benefit of the doubt but even I had a lot of trouble warming to Camille. She epitomized everything that made me and still makes me nervous about the "cool" kids. The teacher, Miss.Jones, had me much more comfortable though I am not of the same background. I loved her attitude, her empathy towards all her students and her strength. And I related most to Jen who had finally realized her dream of being a mother and yet found herself floundering. The three stories overlapped but not in a way that seemed unnatural.
My only issue with the book was the "climax" which I found a bit contrived and obvious. I wish it had been a more subtle event.
The novel is worth reading for it's examination of the three very different lives which are tackled with great genuineness.
Thank you to Waterbook for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
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