- Hardcover: 368 pages
- Publisher: Vanguard Press (Jun 11 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1593154445
- ISBN-13: 978-0739484739
- Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 15.5 x 3.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 635 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #674,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
In this page-turning novel, Alice Kessler, the married mother of two sons, is living on the fictional Grays Island, in the Pacific Northwest, when her eight-year-old son is run over while riding his bike. Alice is convinced the driver, Owen White, was drunk—though her husband, Randy, is not. Neither is the court system. So, on the day Alice loses her wrongful death lawsuit, she runs Owen down in the courthouse parking lot, crippling but not killing him. Alice serves nine years and returns to the island near-broke and hoping to reunite with her surviving son, Jeremy, now 16. (Her husband, Randy, has divorced her.) At the same time, Colin McGinty, an ex-Manhattan prosecutor, has returned to his dead artist grandfather's island house after losing his wife in 9/11. Alice and Colin's fates become bound with a little help from Colin's inherited border collie and, more concretely, a portrait of Alice's grandmother. Cutting between WWII-era depictions of the lives of Colin's and Alice's grandparents and the melodramatic present (including Alice's son being accused of rape and Owen White's machinations as island mayor), haute-romance veteran Goudge (Immediate Family; Wish Come True; etc.) unspools a predictable yet satisfying tale of survival and redemption. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Returning home to the snug offshore community of Gray's Island, Washington, after nine years in prison for the attempted murder of the drunk driver who killed her son, Alice Kessler finds that much has changed. For one thing, her intended victim, Owen Wilson, now confined to a wheelchair, has been elected mayor and uses his infirmity to great political advantage: blackmailing police and court officials, green-lighting controversial property developments, and mercilessly intimidating anyone who dares oppose him. Wanting only to lead a quiet life so she can rebuild a relationship with her surviving son, Jeremy, Alice quickly discovers the depths of Wilson's need for revenge when Jeremy is falsely accused of rape. Desperate to clear Jeremy's name, Alice must rely on one of the few people brave enough to stand up to Wilson, recovering alcoholic and former Manhattan district attorney Colin McGinty. He has come to Gray's Island still mourning his wife, who was killed on 9/11, and finds strength in Alice's fierce determination to save her son and put her past behind her. Goudge's skillful storytelling slyly juxtaposes bucolic imagery and congenial, if not particularly complex, characters with an incisively sinister, often surprising tale of secrets kept and promises broken. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Story of Redemption and Recovery,
By
This review is from: Woman in Red (Hardcover)
Seeing the drunk driver who had killed her 8 year old son walk free Alice Kessler, the devastated mother attempted to run him down. Nine years later after being released from prison, Alice has come home to Gray's Island in order to pick up the pieces of her life and mend the breach between her and the 6 year old son she'd left behind. At the same time Colin McGinty, a 9/11 widower and recovering alcoholic, has come to the island to claim his inheritance left by his famous artist grandfather best known for his masterpiece portrait of "Woman in Red", which is a portrait of Alice's grandmother.Alice's son Jeremy is an angry teenager, wrongly accused of rape and Alice will do anything to save her son including convincing Colin, a one-time hot shot lawyer, to help her prove his innocence. As Alice and Colin engage in the battle to save Jeremy, both are drawn into a subtle love affair. Along their journey of redemption old secrets are uncovered as well as an old adversary who would like nothing better than to see Alice gone, no matter who got hurt. This is a heart wrenching beautiful story of one woman's efforts to rebuild a life for herself after losing just about everything that matters because of justice gone wrong. It reverts back and forth from the present to WWII telling the story of William McGinty and Eleanor Styles, of their love affair and their sacrifices of a constant true love for honor. The author does a brilliant job of weaving the past and present together and reveals a story of loss, heartache, and secrets that were hidden behind the fifty year old portrait of the "Woman in Red". Along the way it shows how history has a way of repeating itself when Alice and Colin engage in a battle with the grandson of the man whose fifty year old disappearance is finally uncovered. But more than that, the author shows us a masterfully told story of salvation, endurance and recovery. This is a compelling story with great characterizations along with a terrific drama that will keep you turning the pages way into the wee hours of the morning and leave you with a deeply satisfying ending. This is one truly exceptional story that I highly recommend. Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars (31 customer reviews) 13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
READER'S DELIGHT,
By Lois Goetz - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Woman in Red (Hardcover)
Fellow Readers,You are in for a treat. I have read all of Eileen's books; each one gets better and better. This one takes the cake! The characters reach right into your heart and stay there throughout the entire journey. I found myself speaking to Alice, her son Jeremy, and Colin while they lived through every twist and turn in this page-turner. This book will keep you wanting more until finally you reach the conclusion. Happy REading! Lois Goetz 7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great "back-porch" reading!,
By Donnagene O. Palmer "Jazz Junkie" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Woman in Red (Hardcover)
Eileen Goudge never disappoints. The characters are so well-defined that the reader has no trouble imagining physical characteristics to match the personalities of each. The story has the main plot, as well as sub-plots, going back and forth in time. There is mystery, romance, alienation, suspense, and a surprise ending. This is a "must read"!
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Beach Read,
By Maudeen Wachsmith "BeachReader" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Woman in Red (Hardcover)
This was a book hard to put down but I had to give it a 1/2 point off because of the sloppy research about the cardinal being in the San Juans (mentioned more than once) but 1/2 point added due to the setting (a fictionalized Orcas Island, called Gray's Island in the book). Basically it's about Alice Kessler who has just returned to Gray's Island after nine years in prison for attempted murder of the man responsible for the death of her young son. Arriving on the same ferry is Colin McGinty, a 9/11 widower there to settle his grandfather's estate. Alice needs to reconnect with the son she left behind, now a teenager who doesn't seem to want to have much to do with her, and facing ostracization from the community (the man she attempted to murder is now the town's powerful mayor). Interwoven is a poignant story from the 1940s which just happens to be about Alice's grandmother and Colin's grandfather.I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys powerful family dramas -- it does get a little melodramatic toward the end and that kept it from being an 5-star read. But overall, I enjoyed it and it was a smooth, quick read and was never dull. Oh and my town even gets a brief mention toward the end! |
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