It is said that the one thing you never recover from is your
In 1954 Bill Blair, a young physician, falls in love with a
magnificent piece of land in what is now known as Silicon Valley. He buys the
land and dreams of the day he can build a home there and fill it with his
future family. After he marries Penny, a sweet, pretty, simple girl they begin to
live Bill’s dream. Beautiful home and three children later Bill could not be
happier but Penny is becoming restless. The days melt together in a blend of
children’s needs and household duties. After she unexpectedly becomes pregnant
with their fourth child, she is at her wits end and resolves to find her true
self as soon as she can capture an ounce of freedom to so. As the children grow
Penny spends more and more time down in the shack on the end of their property.
It becomes her art studio and the beginning of the end of their somewhat happy
home. Thirty years later, Robert, the eldest and a physician; Rebecca the
psychiatrist and Ryan the schoolteacher are faced with the homecoming of James,
the non “R” sibling, the youngest, who has led a wandering and distant life.
Their beloved father has passed away and the children have to face the
possibility of selling their home which years later is extremely valuable. They
face each other in a going down memory lane standoff. They relive the pain of
their mother’s abandonment emotionally and physically, and are forced to take
responsibility for their individual futures. This novel is filled with the
grace and beauty of Ann Packer’s magnificent writing. A simple, yet intense
look at family life draws the reader deep into the hearts of these characters.
Highly recommend this story of love, family and self.
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