Tristan's Gap
Nancy Rue
Waterbrook, May 2006, $12.99
ISBN: 1400070341

In Delaware Serena Soltanis lives for her family. She will do anything to make her husband Nick comfortable and to insure her daughter sixteen years old Serena and son ten years old Max are safe. Her community especially her church sees her as a role model in raising children. She is so highly regarded Serena heads a local church group that counsels, advices and mentors young mothers.

Everything is perfect in Serena's world until Tristan suddenly vanishes without warning. Serena is stunned and begins to doubt her parenting skills. While her raging spouse holds Serena culpable over the embarrassment of their teen runaway, she worries until Tristan returns home. Serena begins to soul search as she ponders coming down harder on Tristan, but wonders if perhaps loosening the control to allow some freedoms might be the answer. She seeks a balance between safety and freedom for she fears tighter control will drive Tristan away again.

This interesting family drama focuses in on the issue of teen safety vs. freedom. Serena and Tristan are wonderful characters as the mom wants her children safe in a dangerous world, but has stifled her daughter. Nick is an idiot though part of his reaction is fear that he hides from his spouse. As Serena struggles with when you let them go (mindful of Gibran's The prophet), fans obtain a deep powerful modern day character study.

Harriet Klausner