The Time Between

The Time Between

Karen White

Genre: Women's Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads):  A stunning new novel of betrayal and forgiveness from the New York Times bestselling author.

Thirty-four-year-old Eleanor Murray is consumed with guilt for causing the accident that paralyzed her sister—and for falling in love with her sister’s husband. But when her boss offers her a part-time job caring for his elderly aunt, Helena, Eleanor accepts, hoping this good deed will help atone for her mistakes.

On the barrier island of Edisto, Eleanor bonds with Helena over their mutual love of music. Drawing the older woman out of her depression, Eleanor learns of her life in Hungary, with her sister, before and during World War II. She hears tales of passion and heartache, defiance and dangerous deception. And when the truth of Helena and her sister’s actions comes to light, Eleanor may finally allow herself to move past guilt and to embrace the song that lies deep in her heart…

Review: I enjoyed the interactions between Eleanor and Helena; they were so smart and sassy.  Gigi was a fun character, too, with a big personality for such a little girl.  And I enjoyed the setting, on a South Carolina beach-y island.  However, I was disturbed by the relationship between Eleanor and her family, specifically how her mother, sister and brother-in-law took advantage of her and treated her like she was their servant.  The resolution between the two sisters at the end of the book didn't feel realistic, after many years of nastiness between them.  I felt like this took away from the more interesting stories of Helena, Eleanor's relationship with her boss, and Gigi.  Actually, having written that, there were an awful lot of storylines in this book and I may have enjoyed it more if it focused on fewer stories.  But overall, it was beautifully written and easy to read, and would make a nice beach read.

Rating: 3 stars