Wander Home by Karen A. Wyle:
Death is what you make it. . . .
Eleanor never wanted to leave the daughter she loved so much. The overpowering urge to wander -- to search, without knowing what she sought -- drove her away. She left little Cassidy in her family's loving care. But Cassidy and the others died in an accident before Eleanor could find her way home.
Now, they are all reunited, in an afterlife where nothing is truly lost. Places once loved may be revisited, memories relived or even shared. One may be any age suitable to the mood and moment. Surely this is a place where Eleanor and her family can understand and heal. And yet, the restlessness that shaped Eleanor's life still haunts her in death. Somehow, she must solve the mystery of her life -- or none of them will be at peace.
***Leave your NAME & EMAIL to win one of TWO e-books (PDF, mobi, or ePub). Drawing 3/26/13***
Excerpt:
Chapter One
Cassidy stood tall and watched the
wave approaching. Fifteen was a good age for confronting the ocean. That
morning she had been five years old, playing happily in her sandbox; from sand to beach, from beach to ocean
waves, seemed a natural progression.
The wave loomed above her, glowing
turquoise and green. She dove under the crest, through the surging water, and
popped up behind the swell, bobbing in the follower waves. The water held her
and rocked her; over the hiss and roar of
the waves, she could hear the distant squawk of seagulls. All around was the
smell of seaweed and salt and sunshine.
Once, her mother had held her,
carried her, rocked her, surrounded her with love and safety. She had no idea
how long it had been, but she remembered. Remembering, she let herself slip
younger as she floated on the swells. But larger waves were coming, so she grew
again, six, ten, sixteen; then caught a wave and rode it into shore.
Her grandparents and her
great-grandmother were waiting for her. Great-Grandma was young today, slim and
blonde and straight, standing like a dancer just before the music starts.
Grandma Sarah and Grandpa Jack had chosen to be older, gray-haired, with the
comfortable look of a couple who for years have weathered each other’s moods
and followed each other’s thoughts.
Cassidy ran up the beach toward
them. She slipped to eight years old as she reached them, so Grandpa Jack could
pick her up and toss her in the air. The sun flashed in her eyes as she flew
up, and again as she fell back toward his hands. He set her down again and
flopped onto the sand, patting the space next to him. She sat, folding her legs
tailor fashion; Great-Grandma flowed gracefully down to sit on her other side.
Only Grandma Sarah remained standing, younger now, her hair in a long red
braid.
Grandpa Jack and Great-Grandma
both put their arms around her. Cassidy looked at Grandpa Jack. He was blinking
as if he had something in both his eyes. She swiveled around toward
Great-Grandma; Great-Grandma nodded toward Grandma Sarah.
Cassidy threw her head back,
looking up at Grandma Sarah and squinting in the sun. Grandma Sarah squatted
down in front of her. "Cassie, love, we have some news for you. Good,
important news."
The seabirds were calling as if
they wanted to be first with the message, whatever it was. Grandma Sarah leaned
forward to kneel in the sand, reached out and took Cassidy's hands.
"It's your mother,
sweetheart. She's coming. She'll be here soon. We'll all be seeing her
again."
***Leave your NAME & EMAIL to win one of TWO e-books (PDF, mobi, or ePub). Drawing 3/26/13***
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Twitter handle: @WordsmithWyle
