Jillian Parris is pregnant, newly divorced and the mother
of a 7-year-old daughter. It's time to take control of her
life and, seeking the source of the little happiness she's
had, Jillian heads home to Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
There, old memories both haunt her and comfort her. When
she left the island as a teenager, her friend Lauren had
disappeared and one of her best friends, Linc Rising, was a
suspect in the disappearance (and supposed murder). Lauren
and Linc had been everything to Jillian and, although she
never suspected Linc, their lives were destroyed.
Despite all the turmoil and the unexpected appearance of
Linc, Jillian takes comfort in being home in the one place
where she felt loved. But those old memories are there,
waiting to change her life today. Even her daughter, Grace,
is infected with their presence -- she begins talking to an
imaginary friend named Lauren.
As Linc and Jillian swim through the heavy waters of their
memories, they finally begin to deal with their feelings
from years ago. And the feelings that are being stirred
today. . .
THE COLOR OF LIGHT is a reminder that the sheer intenseness
of youth can change the course of your life. The horror of
losing Lauren, felt so strongly by both Linc and Jillian,
shifted the foundations of their personalities. Ms. White
guides us through the story, which is rife with dark
overtones in the Southern tradition of writing. The ending
was not a total surprise, but you'll enjoy the getting
there. Well-laced with pain and suffering, this book
highlights the darkness but ends in the light.
At thirty-two, Jillian Parrish finally finds the courage
to take charge of her life and discover what really lives
in the dark space under her bed. Recently divorced, she
takes her young daughter to seek refuge and solace on
Pawleys Island, South Carolina—Jillian's only source of
happy childhood memories. Summers spent at her
grandmother's beach house were Jillian's sanctuary from
indifferent parents until her best friend, Lauren Mills,
disappeared.
Linc Rising, Lauren's boyfriend was a suspect in Lauren's
disappearance. Although Jillian never doubted his
innocence, her parents whisked her back home to Atlanta,
and she never got a chance to tell him. Now a resentful
Linc is back on Pawleys Island, renovating the old Mills
house. As ghosts of the past return to haunt them, and
Jillian's daughter begins having eerie conversation with
an imaginary friend named Lauren, Jillian and Linc will
uncover the truth about Lauren and about the feelings they
have kept buried for sixteen years…