Lauren Speth

"I think you need to keep your heart together, wherever you are. You can't leave broken bits of your heart scattered all over the place. "

Fiona had a very different upbringing by today's terms. The novel takes place in the 60s and 70s when her life wouldn't have seemed as unconventional as it would to us today. She and her sister lived with their parents until her parents split up. Her sister stayed with her mother and she went to live with her dad and his new wife. Her parents were major counter-culture people. Her Dad took her to anti-Vietnam rallies where she got tear-gassed, the family moved to India to find peace plus she lived in a commune - all this before she became a teenager. they basically let her raise herself and she didn't seem to have many rules to follow growing up. At times she seems at peace with her life even though she is always questioning it and at other times she seems to rebel against all of the changes and the lack of parental guidance. After living such a tumultuous life, will Fiona be able to become a strong young woman? It's an adventure for her but also for the reader who is cheering for her to succeed.

From the Dedication: "As we work to make sense of life, gathering experiences like pearls for a necklace, it becomes clear that the thread on which we choose to hang our pearls of experience is as essential as the pearls themselves."

Even though this was an interesting novel, I think it was way too long. My opinion is that it would have been a much easier book to read if it didn't get bogged down in places with too many unneeded people and situations.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.… (meer)