DRIFTING

Author: Stephanie Gertler ISBN: 0451212630 8/2004 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: NAL/Accent

Claire and her husband, Eli, live in a Victorian inn perched at the ocean's edge in the coastal town of Drifting, Connecticut. Although her own children are grown, Claire is still haunted by the absence of her mother, who abandoned her when she was a baby. When Nicholas Pierce and his blind seven-year-old daughter, Kayla, come to stay at the inn, the young child's affinity for Claire begins to resonate within her. And suddenly, Claire is drawn into a struggle to save Kayla— and find herself—when dark truths begin to emerge about Nicholas...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Compelling, emotional, and poignant, these are just a few of the words that describe Stephanie Gertler's DRIFTING. At times riveting as well as wonderfully written, this is a story that interweaves the unrelated lives of its characters into one common theme: drifting.

First, there is Claire, the inn owner and psychologist, adrift in dealing with her emotions as she copes with "empty nest syndrome" after sending her youngest child off to college. Then there is Nicholas, the seemingly doting single-father drifting from place to place, carrying a secret along with him. And there's Kayla, Nicholas' blind seven-year-old daughter, who is caught adrift in the world of adults, her loyalty between mother and father uncertain, the truths and untruths unclear to her child's mind. Each of them eventually "drift" together in an intense and emotionally charged climax, that while not surprising in its outcome, definitely left me a very satisfied feeling.

The characters of Kayla and her father added a bit of suspense/mystery flavor to the story, while Eli and Claire's loving and tender relationship as a longtime devoted married couple underscores Kayla's story throughout, with flashbacks and tender reminiscences sprinkled liberally, each having relevance to the present day drama about to unfold. It is Kayla's character, however, who engaged this reader the most, constantly tugging at my heartstrings.

DRIFTING is a finely tuned story definitely worth reading, with sympathetic characters and mellow pacing. I look forward to Ms. Gertler's next offering, THE WINDMILL come November.

Nancy Davis