Perfect Summer Read: The Beach Trees

Hi Friends!  So sorry for my absence these past couple of months I hope everyone has been doing well and enjoying the warm weather!

With Summer right around the corner I like to get my summer reading list together.  You know the kind of books you like to take to the beach, pool, lake, mountains, etc. that you can just get lost in.  Well I have the perfect book for you!  It's called The Beach Trees by Karen White.

Set in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina comes a heart warming story about moving on after great tragedies.  The main character Julie Holt is like a fish out of water in New Orleans in the beginning, she's a native of New England and has dealt with her own tragedy, the disappearance of her younger sister Chelsea when she was only twelve and then the death of her best friend Monica who leaves her only son Beau in Julie's guardianship.  Her life changing journey leads her to New Orleans where Monica grew up and has left a beach house named River Song to her son Beau.  Only after she arrives in New Orleans does she realize that Katrina has taken it's wrath out on River Song and there's almost nothing left.  So she must connect with the family that Monica ran away from and try to piece together the mystery of why she ran away from a family that seemed to love her so much while rebuilding River Song.

Here you meet Monica's brother Trey who is a very complex character and her grandmother Miss Aimee who is one of my favorite characters of the book.  One of the things that I love about Karen White's books is you get two stories in one.  The present day with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina which is Julie's story and then you get to see Aimee's story and what tragedies she dealth with and how she overcame them. 

My favorite quote of the book is, "Great tragedy give us opportunities for great kindness."  It get's me a little choked up thinking about all of the disasters that part of our country is facing right now in Missouri and other states in the wake of the tornados.  But this book shows us just what the human spirit is made of and how we overcome and move on, help one another when the weight is too much to bear.

There's romance, mystery, and drama all rolled into one and I promise it won't dissapoint.  I guarantee The Beach Trees will leave you inspired.  Follow this link to see what others had to say about the book.

Happy summer reading!!!