Tagline: How can she choose between her child and herself?
People say that a mother’s love is one of the strongest emotions a human can possess. It’s responsible for adrenaline spikes that help mothers protect their children, an eerie sixth sense that helps them know when something’s wrong, and a third eye in the back of their head that allows them to see their children’s mischief. Most mothers would die for their children, even the unborn ones. Amanda Brooke was inspired to write her debut novel, Yesterday’s Sun, by the passing of her son, Nathan, after his battle with leukemia. He was 3 years old. This book was published by Harper.
Holly is finally reaching her goals. She and Tom are married and moving into their dream home in a quaint little village, she’s getting her sculpting career off the ground and Tom is toying with the idea of becoming a freelance writer. Everything is going just the way they wanted, except one thing: Tom wants children and Holly does not. After the terrible childhood she endured, Holly is not mentally or emotionally equipped to be a mother. She doesn’t even like other people’s kids.
However, she’s forced to reconsider when her world turns upside down. Tom is sent on a traveling assignment, leaving Holly to unpack the house on her own. The garden in the back is beautifully chaotic and houses what she discovers to be a moondial. After touching the dial in the light of the full moon, Holly is thrust forward in time where she sees a life of heartache for Tom. You see, Holly does become pregnant, but she doesn’t make it through labor. This leaves Tom to raise Libby, their daughter, by himself. Although Holly can see Tom, he can’t see her. Libby, on the other hand, can see her mother perfectly.
Finally experiencing a mother’s love radically changes Holly’s perception. Now she must choose between saving her own life or allowing her daughter to live.
This story is poetic, beautiful, and heartbreaking. The sadness that this house has seen is almost unbearable. Holly is strong and vulnerable, the perfect main character. Tom is loveable and quirky, which brings a welcome relief from the burden Holly has to bear. The peripheral characters, such as Billy and Jocelyn, round out the story perfectly. Jocelyn is possibly the strongest character in the story.
The choice that Holly is forced to make is a controversial one, and it taps into the constant battle of a woman’s right to choose. But, as the book points out, the battle is often between the woman and herself. The ending is bittersweet and utterly heartrending. This is a book that you’ll hug to your chest and cry over when you’re done.
You can find Yesterday’s Sun at any of Tulsa’s local book stores: Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million and Gardners.
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