Ellyn Bache Daughters of the Sea

Daughters of the Sea

Ellyn Bache

Harlequin Next, Oct 2005, $5.50

ISBN: 0373230435

In her late thirties and unhappy, Veronica Legacy decides it is time to pull up anchor, give up on the secure middle class existence she lives, and start anew. Accompanied by her twenty year old daughter Simpson, Veronica leaves her spouse to return to the only place she ever felt at home, the farm of beloved septuagenarian Ernestine Trueheart. She doubts her husband will notice that the two women in his life have left him.

However, though welcomed by Ernestine, Veronica realizes you can't come home as nothing remains the same. The energetic Ernestine of memory is a slowly dying elderly woman. Still she offers Veronica what she most needs, a sense of worth and belonging, but will that prove enough for an adult seeking a haven from the storms of life?

This is a terrific slice of life character study that showcases intriguing individuals, especially Veronica, struggling with problems that have thrown them into a depression, yet come out fighting for what they believe in. Veronica is the center of this interesting tale, but the support cast, mainly Ernestine and Simpson, make her a fully developed protagonist. Fans will appreciate this fine, often witty but always profound look at middle age crisis.

Harriet Klausner