From the back:
"Everyone has a story, and maybe everyone needs a little help toward healing."
Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy--but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. While her daughters spend the summer in Hawaii with her ex-husband and his new wife, she must manage life on her own. All of that changes when she's asked to spotlight her childhood best friend's missing person case on her podcast.
Dora Crane has never accepted that her younger daughter could be dead, keeping her home looking the same as when her daughter disappeared. But when her husband leaves her and her older daughter intervenes, she agrees to counseling and to pack up her missing daughter's belongings under one condition: Faith Byrne comes to Deep Valley and sheds light on the cold case.
As the long-abandoned investigation moves forward, old wounds and long-buried secrets are exposed. Will these two women, whose lives have never been the same, finally get the answers they need to reconcile the past and the future?
My Reflections:
Christina Nelson pens another profoundly moving novel with her newest book titled "What Happens Next" This author never disappoints. She writes about issues that matter, digs deeper into the complexities of life, teasing out truth and the courage of the human heart.
Faith a former investigator turned podcaster is recently divorced and at odds with what to do with herself as her daughters spend the summer with their dad and his new wife. When she is asked out of the blue to shed light on the disappearance of her childhood friend she is shaken. Having been left in the dark about her friend Heather's disappearance gives Faith the determination to find out what truly happened that summer 36 years ago.
This novel also delves into the lives of Dora, Heather's mother. Dora has held onto the belief that Heather will return, so much so that it has ripped at the very fabric of her remaining family.
Lastly, the book shares the life of young Heather at the age of 10, the summer before her disappearance. We get a glimpse into this sweet funny and outspoken girl full of life and promise. Faith and Heather become fast friends that summer and share many adventures and memories together.
I enjoyed all aspects of this gripping story. It made me take a sobering look at those around me and the consequences of our actions. Healing is messy business, with many ups and downs, it is fraught with emotions and choices. I am slowly learning (I must be really slow because it's taken a while) that I need to stop, take a breath, step back, assess the mess then lean into it and trust in the journey God has set before me.
Nelson is a master writer her ability to pen characters with depth and substance makes her novels stand out. I am always drawn into the lives of her characters and feel a special connection which leaves me wanting more when the last page has been turned.
This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Christina Suzann Nelson
Christina Suzann Nelson (www.christinasuzannnelson.com) is an inspirational speaker and Christy award-winning author. Her first novel, If We Make It Home, was honored as one of Library Journal's top five inspirational novels of 2017, and her 2021...
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