Kristin Hannah's earlier novels, like this one, focus on family relationships at home. This one hit close to home for me. Marrying young, putting every one's needs before my own for too many years, so that after a couple of decades, I didn't even know who I was as a person. You lose sight of your own passions and interests. You lose confidence in your natural talents. I completely understood what Elizabeth was going through.
Jackson was incredibly self-centered. I think many successful athletes are. They need that kind of focus to excel in their sport. It takes drive, persistence and an intense competitive spirit to be a star athlete. I admired Elizabeth for keeping their marriage and family together all of those years, because Jackson really didn't have a very large investment in it. I did understand his self-doubt after he fell out of the lime light. People like that ARE their talent, and when they lose it, they don't know who they are.
Elizabeth was so strong to take a step back from her life and spend the time necessary to figure out who she was and what she wanted in her life. I love that Anita showed up on her doorstep and forced Elizabeth to finally develop a relationship with her. I am not sure why her dad thought it would be better to stay quiet about Elizabeth's mother. I believe that it was this decision that put up a road-block between Elizabeth and Anita. If she had known the truth all along, Elizabeth could have more readily accepted Anita in her life.
I think their time apart (Elizabeth & Jackson) made their family stronger (especially Jackson's relationship with their daughters), their personal relationship stronger and it made them each stronger as individuals. I wasn't sure how they would come to terms with their two "homes" on different coasts - but I hoped they would give their marriage another chance. They didn't exactly meet in the middle regarding their residence, but I think they both won in the end.
Wendy's Rating: ****
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