Saturday, November 30, 2024

Between the Sound and Sea

Title: Between the Sound and Sea
Author: Amanda Cox
Published: August 6, 2024 by Revell
Format: Kindle, 327 Pages
Genre: Christian Fiction
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

First Sentence: Prologue. November 2005. The old woman observed the young boy kicked back in the adjacent recliner, his face practically glued to that tiny screen, as it had been since his visit began.

Blurb: Every family has its secrets. Josephina Harris wouldn't mind if her family still had a few of their own after a lawsuit tarnishes their name. When an opportunity opens to become a temporary keeper of a decommissioned lighthouse on a North Carolina island, she jumps at the chance to escape her small town to oversee its restoration.

As the work begins, "Joey" discovers strange notes tucked deep in the crevices of the old stone walls--pages torn from a lighthouse keeper's log signed by someone named Mae who recounts harrowing rescues at sea. Fascinated by a woman lighthouse keeper, Joey digs into the past only to discover there's never been a record of a lighthouse keeper by that name.

When things start to go amiss on the island, locals are convinced that it is the ghost of the lighthouse keeper and his daughter who were lost at sea during World War II. As Joey sifts through decades of rumors and legends and puts together the pieces of the past, what emerges is a love story--one that's not over yet.

My Opinion: When I picked up Between the Sound and Sea, I had no idea it was Christian Fiction. Honestly, I might have skipped it if I knew. But as they say, sometimes the right book finds you.

I was looking for something different from my usual reads, and this book's sweetness, without being preachy, was a refreshing change. Unlike the typical story of a woman returning to her hometown to rebuild her life, this follows Josephina "Joey" Harris as she leaves her familiar town to refurbish an old lighthouse on a North Carolina island.

Joey's journey isn't about reinventing herself but finding clarity and purpose. Along the way, she uncovers the history of Bleakpoint and the legend of Saint-Mae, heals her broken family, and finds a new one. This place, between the sound and the sea, leaves a lasting impact on her and the reader.

Despite being a full-length novel, the book reads like a novella, with some time jumps that keep the story moving. The little tidbits Amanda Cox drops here and there are delightful, and the full story, with its heartbreak and love, is beautifully revealed.

This is contemporary Christian fiction without the heavy-handed sermons. There are occasional biblical quotes and references, but nothing overbearing. It's clean, with no spice, language, or trigger warnings, making it a soothing and heartfelt read.

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