Still Waters is the debut for this author and after reading it, I can't wait to read her new book that publishes in the summer, 2019. She takes us to the LowCountry of SC to Edisto Beach for a story of family, love and redemption.

Cora Ann has just graduated from college and the internship that she hoped for was put on hold so she returns home. She lives a very rigid life and it's difficult for her to cope with changes so when her grandmother asks her to come to Edisto Beach and help her with some projects. Even though she used to love the ocean and the beach house, she is very reluctant to go back due to a tragedy that happened when she was a child - a tragedy that she can't forgive herself for. It's also the place where her grandfather died and her parents marriage ended. She loves her grandmother so she decides to go but is not happy about it and she wants everyone around her to avoid their happiness. Her grandmother, Nan, has a plan for Cora Ann's summer and a plan to get her to fully accept the past and look forward to the future. Will Nan be successful or will Cora Ann continue to live her life based on things that happened in the past? Will Cora Anne choose between a life driven by guilt, or one washed clean by the tides of grace?

This is a lovely well written novel with very likable characters. I especially enjoyed Nan who loved her granddaughter and tried to help her change her life. I also loved the setting of Edisto Beach and made me want to pack up and take a vacation at the beach in a small cottage.

This is a novel about family and love and forgiveness - not forgiveness of others but forgiveness of ourselves. ( )

Still Waters by Lindsey P. Brackett was my book club’s selection this month. I chose this book because of the Southern island setting that I knew would suit our club’s anniversary. A good beach read for a late Summer book getaway is what I was expecting. I certainly got that, but I didn’t realize I would also get a book that as one member put it was way more than fluff. Romance is definitely a part of the book’s appeal, but Still Waters, with its emphasis on family, faith, and forgiveness, is a book that will get you thinking. So sit back in your rocker with a glass of tea and be prepared for a book that will speak to you about reunions and reclamation (in more ways than one).

Cora Anne is fresh out of college with a UGA diploma. Her life has been one of plans and purpose since she was 11 years old. But a storm and a determined grandmother put her back on the road to Edisto Island, a place that claims and breaks her heart at the same time. With the notion of helping her grandmother ready their beach house, Still Waters, Cora Ann confronts her past while clearing a way for a future.

I loved the strong characterization in Still Waters. There are so many great characters to choose from, I found it hard to have a favorite. Cora Anne is a sympathetic character in her turmoil and guilt that has dogged her for 12 years. Her grandmother, Nan, is feisty, strong, insightful, and bold, though her body is frail. If ever there was a swoon-worthy hero, it is Tennessee. His care and concern for Cora Anne surpass his own wants. Secondary characters are fun and create a great compliment for the activities of the main characters. Cora Anne’s triplet brothers provide wonderful comic relief. And there are at least two characters I would love to see get their own book. The setting itself, Edisto Island, is its own character. The essence of the island winds itself through the narrative and the imagination of the reader. It is now on my bucket list of places to visit. Forgiveness is one of the themes in Still Waters. More than one character wrestles with guilt and remorse. The author does a great job of portraying what “living under” forgiveness really looks like.

Still Waters is really a lot of things — southern lit, women’s fiction, family drama, and romance, to name a few. It sounds like a big jumble when stated that way, but that’s not the case at all. It is a well-crafted blend like the spicy gumbo Nan makes. Some sweetness, some spice, and a lot to warm the heart and soul.

Recommended.

Audience: adults. ( )