"Because
life is about living..."
Julia has never been one to surrender without a fight, but when she receives a devastating diagnosis, she has a decision to make.
Even after thirty years, she can still see her mother slowly fading away with every dose of chemo, every round of radiation, and every lost shred of hope. No, she won't do it... not to her family... and not to herself!
Without warning, she packs up her belongings and disappears, leaving behind a life that, by all accounts, had been as perfect as they come, and a distraught family full of questions.
Finding peace in a beach house in Northern California turns out to have its complications though. While only a handful of other residents share the tiny beach community, each one has brought their own baggage and developed their own way of dealing with it. All Julia wants is to be left alone, but that simply does not seem to be an option, especially when there's a persistent bird that declares her to be his new best friend.
Haunted by the shadows of the past, Julia is struggling to cope with the present. Will she have the strength to do this alone and eventually follow through with her plan? Will her family, divided by mixed reactions to being abandoned, come together to try and track her down? And what is the deal with that pelican of hers?
Only time will tell - and time is the one thing Julia does not have...
Purchase
Links
For duration
of tour – The Pelican will be £1.99
on Amazon UK (and US)
My Musings :
When I first saw the cover, I will be honest, I wasn't impressed but after reading the book, I believe it is of the sort which implies so much with a simple image.
The story starts when Julia is given a life altering diagnosis. I try not to read very heavy and serious stories because I generally tend to cry at the smallest things even in a romance. So I am sure that this type of story will have me teary eyes from the beginning till the end.
But surprisingly, that wasn't the case inspite of the subject of the tale. Julia's fight for herself and her family, to stay away from pain and the way she deals with her illness, all made me feel so much and her pain was easily made communicable to me,the reader. The author has a writing style which is easy to approach and goes well with the plot line.
I wasn't crying openly but I read it with a heavy heart which slowly eased as the story went on. It was not just a story of pain but also goodness which kind of made sense to me. I would have preferred Julia doing something else to ease her family's pain. But her selflessness and her stay at the tiny community had me slowly see the beauty in life at the side of pain and problems.
A story of good sentimentality and a view at life from a different angle which made for a poignant read.
I received a review copy which doesn't reflect in my review in any way.
My rating : 4.5/5
Author Bio –
Born
and raised in Germany, M.Naidoo lives in Northern California with her
husband, two daughters, and three dogs. One of them, Dusty, a spunky
terrier mix, found its way into her debut novel.
When she is not in front of her computer, pounding out story lines and characters, she enjoys reading, movies, spending time with her family, and long walks on the beach - her proverbial 'happy place'. M's love for the beach and ocean shine through in the vivid descriptions of the coast in The Pelican.
"Juggling my life as a writer and a full-time 'real' job has its challenges. I don't get to spend half as much time as I'd like doing what I love, and there are never enough hours in the day. Still, I feel extremely lucky to be following my passion, and I am enjoying every minute of it. Getting here has been one heck of a ride!"
When she is not in front of her computer, pounding out story lines and characters, she enjoys reading, movies, spending time with her family, and long walks on the beach - her proverbial 'happy place'. M's love for the beach and ocean shine through in the vivid descriptions of the coast in The Pelican.
"Juggling my life as a writer and a full-time 'real' job has its challenges. I don't get to spend half as much time as I'd like doing what I love, and there are never enough hours in the day. Still, I feel extremely lucky to be following my passion, and I am enjoying every minute of it. Getting here has been one heck of a ride!"
Social Media
Links –
Thank you for reviewing and featuring my book on your blog!
ReplyDelete