A Novel with Thoughts and Ponderings

THE DEFINITION OF WIND

Author: Ellen Block ISBN: 9780440245766 7/2011 FICTION Publisher: BANTAM

The Definition of Wind by Ellen Block
Independence: the freedom to be yourself—or a day for fireworks, depending on your point of view
 
Summer has come to Chapel Isle, the quaintly quirky island that Abigail Harker has called home since she moved into the caretaker’s cottage at the local lighthouse. The season ushers in sweltering temperatures, along with throngs of tourists who are turning the sleepy town into pandemonium. The world Abigail fled after tragedy struck is descending upon her doorstep, and she isn’t sure she can stand the heat. 

Tourists and natives alike are buzzing about a sunken treasure in the treacherous shoals off the coast, and clues to its location are supposedly hidden in the caretaker’s cottage. Soon Abigail is the focus of everybody’s attention, including that of a handsome, seductive bachelor. Amid the swarm of vacationers, it’s hard to tell harmless visitors from those harboring dark intentions. 

As Independence Day nears, Abigail must decide: Should she stay on Chapel Isle—risking another heartbreak and even her own safety—or allow the ghosts of her past and the dangers of the present to chase her away?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Ellen Block's THE DEFINITION OF WIND is the story of a woman's journey through grief and suffering to acceptance of herself as well as the circumstances of her life. There are some brutal moments in this book, times when tears slid down my cheeks, but despite that, I continued reading. Why? Because Abigail, the lighthouse's new resident, as well as the interestingly quirky residents and tourists of Chapel Isle, made me care. I wanted to know how they fared during the summer, needed to see how their stories played out. When a mystery surrounding a treasure invades the grieving widow's life, things get even more interesting.

My only real complaint? This book is a sequel and I have not read the first book, THE LANGUAGE OF SAND. I felt decidedly disadvantaged, just not knowing the backstory. Had the previous book's events and inhabitants not been referred to so frequently, it might not have mattered, but that wasn't the case. I felt lost more than once.

I recommend THE DEFINITION OF WIND, but I seriously advise reading the first book first!

Kay James

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