After You

by Annie Garrett

Book Overview

Clare McLendon is summoned to Maine by the wife of her first love, Riley Brackett, after Riley suffers a serious accident and is left remembering nothing of his life except the summer he had spent... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312196717
• ISBN13: 9780312196714
• Release Date: August 1998
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 215 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

A Second Chance With Your First Love?!

This book takes place on the coast of Maine and from reading the book, I take it that Annie Garrett loves the Maine coast and visits it often, maybe even when she is writing a new novel. Clare, the main character, describes the scenerey and the people as if they are her true love, not to mention the way she feels about the man in her life now and the "first love" from her past. The setting itself and its descriptions take you to a place that is both unique and captivating. The storyline is a little weak, however, the novel is well worth reading as a whole. It will keep you looking for others novels just like it (Island Summer Love by Amy Belding Brown). I highly recommend this book for a by-the-pool summer read!

Sentimental and thoughtful...

A bit more synopsis: Clare has been married to Michael for ten years, but lately their marriage has been tested by a series of tragedies. Clare has had cancer and undergone a double mastectomy. Michael's mother is dying and needs his constant care. Clare feels abandoned and Michael feels obligated. Into this mix comes a postcard, mailed to Clare from the wife of her first and strongest love, Riley. Clare met Riley during a summer spent in Maine at seventeen. The two fell deeply in love, but were separated after a boating accident nearly killed them. Now, Riley has been in another serious accident and suffered amnesia. He can't remember anything that has happened since he and Clare were separated, including his marriage to Laurie and the birth of their two daughters. An embittered Laurie asks Clare if she will return to Maine, a request which will have serious consequences for all involved.Comments: This is a sweet, sentimental story with a definite female mindset. It! is also beautifully written, moving, and thought-provoking. As Clare straddles the line between the past and present, she wonders at how a seemly random series of events could have permanately altered her life. She faces the realization that one life must be chosen over another if anyone involved is to truly heal. These are interesting issues, and the author deals with them well, allowing Clare to grieve, love, and make tough decisions. It isn't brilliant literature, but it is a good read based on interesting subject matter.