Author: Deanna Lynn Sletten
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Date of publication: September 2016
Poring over a dusty hatbox of photographs in her
grandmother’s closet, Emily Prentice is shocked to discover her father was
married to his high school sweetheart before meeting her mother.
In the summer of 1968, Jack and Libbie fall in love under the
spell of their small town, untouched by the chaos of the late sixties. Though
Libbie’s well-to-do parents disapprove of Jack’s humble family and his
aspiration to become a mechanic, she marries Jack a year after they graduate
high school. But soon their happiness crumbles as Libbie’s mental state
unravels and she is drawn to alcohol and drugs. Despite his efforts to help
her, Jack loses the woman he loves and is forced to move on with his life.
Now that Emily’s mother has passed away, Jack is alone
again, and Emily grows obsessed with the beautiful woman who had given her
father such joy. Determined to find Libbie, Emily pieces together the couple’s
fragmented past. But is it too late for happy endings?
Finding Libbie is a compelling and heartbreaking book that also manages to leave you with a feeling of hope in the end. I ended up liking this book a lot more than I thought I would. I'll admit that it was slow for me to start, but I ended up being drawn into the tragic love story of Jack and Libbie. Emily finds out that her father was married before he married her mother. After hearing their story from her grandmother, she sets out to try to find Libbie.
As I said, I ended up really liking this one. It's not an easy read because it's so sad at times. I had to keep reminding myself that the majority of the tale takes place in the 60s and 70s when women's mental health was often swept under the rug or largely misdiagnosed. It would be a much different story if Jack and Libbie's love story took place in present time I wanted to scream at Libbie's family throughout the story. Through her quest to find Libbie, Emily also figures out what she wants for her life. I liked that part of the book as well.
My only wish for this book would have been to see more interaction between two of the characters toward the end. It would have rounded out the story even more for me. I do recommend this one. It will break your heart and make you smile at the same time.
About Deanna Lynn Sletten
Deanna Lynn Sletten grew up on the sunny coast of Southern
California before moving to northern Minnesota as a teenager. Her interest in
writing novels was sparked in a college English class, and she has been writing
in some form or another ever since. In 2011, Deanna self-published her first
novel and has since published several more, both on her own and with Lake Union
Publishing.
Deanna enjoys writing heartwarming women’s fiction and
romance novels with unforgettable characters. She has also written one middle-grade
novel that takes readers on the adventure of a lifetime. She believes in fate,
destiny, love at first sight, soul mates, second chances, magic, and happily
ever after—all of which are reflected in her novels.
Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not
writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her home with her
beautiful Australian shepherd or relaxing on her boat in the summer.
Connect with Deanna
Purchase Links
Deanna Lynn Sletten’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
Tuesday, September 6th: Bookchickdi
Thursday, September 8th: Reading
Reality
Thursday, September 15th: Back Porchervations
Friday, September 16th: A Chick Who Reads
Monday, September 19th: From the TBR Pile
Wednesday, September 21st: Mama Vicky Says
Monday, September 26th: All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
Tuesday, October 4th: Kahakai Kitchen
Wednesday, October 5th: Books and Bindings
Thursday, October 6th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Friday, October 7th: View from the Birdhouse
Monday, October 10th: Snowdrop Dreams of Books
Wednesday, October 12th: Write Read Life
Hi Kari - Thanks so much for being a stop on this blog tour and for the lovely review of Finding Libbie. I'm so happy that you enjoyed the book!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to know there is a feeling of hope in this book in spite of the heartbreak.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour!