Crossing Oceans

Jenny Lucas swore she’d never go home again. But being told you’re dying has a way of changing things. Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank–toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella’s dad . . . who doesn’t yet know he has a daughter. As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything—to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings . . . even overcome the impossible. A stunning debut about love and loss from a talented new voice.

Pub. Date: May 2010

Recommended by staff
If this is Gina Holmes' first attempt at writing fiction, she's got a follower in me.  I can hardly wait for the next one.  Jenny left her family and home, never to look back.  But -- sickness and her precious daughter were the two reasons she returned after many years.  You'll love the journey that the author takes you on.  You'll laugh when you read about Jenny's grandma and you'll cry when Jenny has to face her past, making decisions for her her future.  This is a great summer read for ages 18 to dead.  Try it you'll love it!  ~~ Carol Dyck

Publisher's Preview

Jenny Lucas has returned to her childhood home, a refuge of picket fences and lace-covered tabletops. But with an intensity likely garnered from years of unpublished suspense writing, debut novelist and blogger Holmes slowly unveils the hidden angst in this homecoming. A single mother, Jenny must find caregivers who will raise her five-year-old daughter when she's gone. She's forced to mend relations with two possible custodians: the baby's father, who doesn't know he has a child, and her own cold-hearted father. As Jenny comes to face her future as well as her past, dramatic emotions yield to an appreciation of life and an enjoyment of the grace of fleeting moments. There can be no happy ending, but Holmes ties a neat bow of acceptance around this haunting tale that packs an emotional wallop. Keep tissues near.