What can I say about Barbara Delinsky that probably
hasn't been said before -- many, many times to be sure.
When you can visualize a story and its characters years
after reading a book it tells so much about the author.
It shows that that author brought those characters --
those people -- to life. I think my first Barbara Delinsky
read was Coast Road. I thought so highly of this book
that for many years it was the first book off my tongue
when someone asked for a recommendation. After that I
read just about anything I could get my grubby hands on.
Sure I have my favorites Coast Road, Family Tree (if
you've missed this one run and get it), The Secret
Between Us, While My Sister Sleeps and Not My Daughter. I
know long list but I really believe everyone NEEDS to
read these. And now with the advent of the e-readers they
are all just a click away. Barbara Delinsky has been a
source of delight. And I am so glad to say that
BLUEPRINTS has earned a place on albeit my rather lengthy
favorites list. What you haven't read Barbara Delinsky.
What are you waiting for?
When an unfortunate misunderstanding occurs a totally out
of character rift in the mother daughter relationship
seems unable to bridge. Neither Caroline nor Jamie can
get passed this problem that has put them on seemingly
opposing sides. But that is not really the case. The
problem is a failure to communicate which is also not
usual. Caroline and Jamie, mother and daughter, were
basically content with their lives -- until they realized
that they didn't want to settle for content. They each
realized that their lives were missing something and it
took a tragedy, and a giant upheaval in their contented
lives to open their eyes to possibilities. Some new --
some familiar -- but all good and as it turns out welcome.
Good for the soul and good for the heart.
Caroline brought up Jamie to believe in family even
though their family had been a victim of divorce. But
Jamie would find herself thinking of how her mother would
react -- cherish moments not things -- when her life took
on new responsibilities that she honestly wasn't
confident in handling. Jamie liked to plan -- life just
can't be planned. Spontaneity is necessary when life
hands you challenges that are way out of your league.
Ultimately both Caroline and Jamie are going to be
presented with possibilities that neither ever expected.
Absolutely joyous.
So BLUEPRINTS is about a family company that has it hands
in building, refurbishing and selling homes and other
buildings. As in life architectural blueprints often have
to be adjusted to allow for conditions that are anything
but stagnant. BLUEPRINTS is about life following a new
plan that will for the most part be drawn up as the
family goes along. Once again Barbara Delinsky has penned
an eye opening delightful journey toward a full rewarding
life in BLUEPRINTS. BLUEPRINTS grows page after page as
the reader gets invested in the people at the center of
the story. People are always the focus of a Barbara
Delinsky book. BLUEPRINTS is just another delightful tale
by this amazing author that will definitely have you
smiling.
Blueprints, the new novel from bestselling author
Barbara Delinsky, is the story of two strong women,
Caroline
MacAfee, a skilled carpenter, and her daughter Jamie, a
talented architect. The day after her 56th birthday,
Caroline is told the network wants Jamie to replace her as
the host on Gut It!, their family-based home
construction TV show. The resulting rift couldn't come at
a
worse time.
For Jamie, life changes overnight
when, soon after learning of the host shift, her father
and
his new wife die in a car accident that orphans their
two-year-old son. Accustomed to organization and planning,
she is now grappling with a toddler who misses his
parents,
a fiancé who doesn't want the child, a staggering new
attraction, and a work challenge that, if botched, could
undermine the future of both MacAfee Homes and Gut
It!
For Caroline, hosting Gut It! is
part of her identity. Facing its loss, she feels betrayed
by
her daughter and old in the eyes of the world. When her
ex-husband dies, she is thrust into the role of caregiver
to
his aging father. And then there's Dean, a long-time
friend,
whose efforts to seduce her awaken desires that have been
dormant for so long that she feels foreign to
herself.
Who am I? Both women ask, as the
blueprints they've built their lives around suddenly need
revising. While loyalties shift, decisions hover, and new
relationships tempt, their challenge comes not only in
remaking themselves, but in rebuilding their relationship
with each other.