When we first meet Constance Sparks she has agreed to accompany her best friend to a yoga speed dating event. Who knew such things took place? Of course, Constance agrees to go. She spends much of her time doing what others want. Her self-esteem is low because of a troubled childhood and she just wants a stable relationship where someone stays and there is contentment. Hayden seems to offer her that and when he proposes, Constance accepts. Her engagement ring has a history and researching it takes her life on a trajectory she never imagined.
Nan Fischer brings to readers a beautifully told story about a young woman who has been hurt deeply in THE BOOK OF SILVER LININGS. Constance is a well-drawn protagonist with many endearing traits. She is kind to both humans and animals. Eager to please, she often puts aside what is important to her. But, at what cost? Encouragement to find out what she truly wants in life comes from an unexpected source and when she does move forward, there are challenges. She faces difficult choices and she knows that going forth the decisions she makes will impact the rest of her life. The secondary characters are a fully fleshed-out group, even the ones who are the least endearing, and some come together to form a family of choice.
Thoughtfully written, the narrative deeply explores honesty, forgiveness and self-growth. I found THE BOOK OF SILVER LININGS by Nan Fischer to be a poignant and moving story about what is possible when finding the courage to take a chance. Highly recommended.
Within the margins of an antique book, a timeless love waits for a young woman on the precipice of a terrible mistake in this enthralling exploration of fate and independence from the acclaimed author of Some of It Was Real. Constance Sparks always says yes…when her capricious best friend needs money; when her boss gives her more responsibility without a raise; and when her boyfriend, Hayden, who is very kind but also secretive, asks her to marry him.While planning their wedding—and struggling with anxiety about the right course for her future—Constance researches the history of her antique engagement ring and unearths the name of a man who might be connected to it, plus his tragic love story. When she finds a book of letters in her library’s old manuscript section written by the long-dead man, Constance is deeply touched by his words and leaves a note for him confessing her uncertainty and doubts. She’s shocked days later to find a response tucked among the pages.As the notes continue to arrive, Constance finds herself quickly falling in love with a ghost and putting her real-life relationship in jeopardy. Will a bond based on letters impossibly sent from the past derail her future? Or will Constance discover her voice and risk everything for the chance to somehow connect with her true soul mate?
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