Outside the Lines

Outside the Lines

by Amy Hatvany

Genre: Women's Fiction

Synopsis: When Eden was ten years old she found her father, David, bleeding out on the bathroom floor.  The suicide attempt led to her parents' divorce, and David all but vanished from Eden's life.  Since childhood, she has heard from him only rarely, just enough to know he's been living on the streets and struggling with mental illness.  But lately, there has been no word at all.

Now in her thirties, Eden decides to go look for her father, so she can forgive him at last, and finally move forward.  When her search uncovers other painful truths-not only the secrets her mother has kept from her, but also the agonizing question of whether David, after all these years, even wants to be found-Eden is forced todecide just how far she'll go in the name of love.

from the back of the book

Review:  This book started out slowly jumping from the present when Eden is searching for her father and the past when Eden was a child and her dad was struggling with mental illness and trying to get well.  It just didn't seem to move anywhere.  Then Eden goes to a homeless shelter, Hope House, and meets Jack and the book has a romantic note to it.  Once Eden gets clues about how to search for her father, the action picks up but there's not a tremendous amount of action in this book.  The flashbacks continue but we also see David's perspective after he loses contact with Eden and that is interesting to hear his views on his illness and what it takes for him to cope.  I wish there had either been more development with Eden's brother, Byrce, and her best friend, Georgia, or had less of them in the story because when they were included I felt like I didn't know them at all and they weren't entirely necessary.  

Rating: 3.5 stars