Throughout the novel, the plot switches between Bob Bliss during WW II through the 1960's and Annie Bliss in the year 2001.
After losing his twin brother Roy, Bob writes a poem about sorrow, invites the reader to send him a rock for the person he/she lost and he would build something that offers life. He submits the poem to the local newspaper and to his surprise, rocks appear at the Ansel-by-the-Sea's post office.
In 2001, Bob has an accident. Bess, a local diner cook, summons Annie, his great niece from Chicago, to come back to Maine to be by his side. Once there Annie begins uncovering the past which just might bring healing to her own life and her parents' lives, and also may allow her to experience abundant life again.
I loved how the different stories and lives are intertwined-past and present. My favorite characters were Bob, Jeremiah and Ed. For awhile I did not really like Annie . . .she felt underdeveloped or too closed off to the reader, even though she was a main character.
The town of Ansel-by-the-Sea and its people were endearing. I would definitely love to visit or live in this fictional town!
I did not like the use of present tense to tell the story. It irritated me for some reason. By the middle of the book I had settled into it okay, but it still did not sit well with me.
This book reinforces that everyone has a story and that God offers hope and redemption, even if the situation seems beyond heart-breaking.
-Borrowed from the library.
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