Luanne Rice takes a peek into the inner workings of a family in her newest book, THE DEEP BLUE SEA FOR BEGINNERS.

As I read the story of Pell and Lucy Davis I couldn't help but feel a pull on my heartstrings. At a young age they were separated from their mother Lyra, and that separation has impacted them from that day to this.

At the beginning of Pell's teenage years their father, Taylor Davis succumbs to a brain tumor, and the young Davis girls are essentially left parentless. Now, Pell about to begin her senior year of high school wants definite answers about the 'hows and whys' her mother left and never attempted to contact either Pell or Lucy.

To get her answers Pell travels to Capri where her mother Lyra has been living since leaving. Once on the island Pell and her mother begin to form a relationship, and as with any relationship, be it a new one or an infant one, there are ups and downs. The unraveling of Lyra's disappearance affects not only the mother-daughter relationship, but also the way the Davis women from oldest to youngest react with others.

I would not pick up THE DEEP BLUE SEA FOR BEGINNERS expecting a quick easy read. It truly is a story of family dynamics, and one that I believe will have you thinking on your own interpersonal relationships. While I didn't cry while reading THE DEEP BLUE SEA FOR BEGINNERS you might wish to have tissues handy.