I loved the debut book from Heather Gudenkauf, The Weight of Silence so when I saw that she had another book coming out I was really excited. This book did not disappoint. It is another great read from an author that has quickly become one of my favorites. Ms. Gudenkauf writes a compelling story filled with top notch characters. The story line contains numerous issues that will leave the reader emotionally spent, including the pressure to succeed, mental illness, a terminal illness, infertility, and parental neglect to name a few. It sounds like a mish mash, and truthfully, a story that contains so many elements could go horribly astray, but this one does not. Ms. Gudenkauf ties all the issues together superbly with her excellent story telling and a cast of characters that come alive on the pages. Many times while reading the book, I found myself in tears, swamped with emotion for the characters. By the end of the book, I was not sure who I felt the most empathy for. Even those I did not empathize with are memorable. A story so filled with rich characters is a treat, one that has a great story line is even better. A definite must read in my book and winner of the coveted 5 stars!
