A unique, beautifully written novel. ( )

I read this book for Early Reviewers back in 2016 and surely reviewed it, but that review seems to have been lost to the vagaries of technology.

This was an intriguing book that stayed with me, which is why I remember it so clearly, all those years later. The water imagery was strong and powerful, and this is coming from someone with a fear of deep water. I also thought the family dynamic was unique and fascinating. Worth a read for sure. ( )

I thought that this book was really well done. It was an emotional read that broke my heart more than once. I felt so much for Eleanor and her family and believe that nobody should have to go through the things that they do in this story. I really liked the way that this book dealt with pain, grief, depression and didn’t shy away from showing the ugly side of these emotions. I found this to be a very touching story.

The book opens with Eleanor. Eleanor is married to a man that she loves and has a little girl. She doesn’t seem completely happy though but she finds that it helps to swim so she takes to the ocean on a daily basis. Eleanor’s little girl, Agnes, grows up to be the mother of twin girls named Eleanor and Esmerelda. On the way to pick up the girls’ father, the family gets into a terrible wreck and Esmerelda doesn’t survive. Eleanor’s mother deals with the loss with a bottle and essentially stops mothering her remaining child. Her father ends up leaving when the marriage falls apart but remains an active part of Eleanor’s life.

I liked the way that magical realism is worked into the story. Eleanor is thrust into these alternate and sometimes dream worlds where time moves very differently. She had no control of where or went she is pulled into these alternate dimensions and she struggles with how to explain everything to those in her life. The characters we meet in the alternate dimension do play an important role and I liked how everything came together in the end.

Cassandra Campbell does a wonderful job with the narration of this novel. I liked all of the different voices that she used for the characters in this story. I thought that she added a lot of emotion into her reading and was able to take this book to the next level. I believe that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of the book.

I would recommend this book to others. I found this to be a very well-written novel that deals with some horrible situations. I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Crown Publishing via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook. ( )

Eleanor's twin sister, Esmerelda, died in a tragic car accident that nearly broke her family. Her mother, Agnes, lost her mother at a young age, and the loss of another family member may very well have proved too much. But when Eleanor begins to experience strange moments where she is transported to mysterious places, an already unstable situation appears like it might only get worse. But the force behind all of this is one that Eleanor never would have expected. And it just might lead to a solution from across time that can help heal her family and make it whole once again.

The story here is honestly a bit surreal and comes across as a bit strange at first. But as things move forward, the connections between the various characters--those named and those unnamed--starts to become clear. And the power of grief and love to transcend the impossible is illustrated in some unexpected ways.

[Disclaimer: This review is based on a copy of the book received from the publisher via the Blogging for Books program.] ( )

This book was okay. I liked it. But I was expecting to be blown away, and that just wasn't the case. ( )