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A review by reneesmith
Chasing Sunsets: A Cedar Key Novel by Eva Marie Everson
4.0
“Do you remember those things we used to play with as kids? You’d draw on them and then shake them and everything would disappear?”
“An Etch A Sketch?”
“Yes. An Etch A Sketch. Sometimes I wish life were like one of those.”
“Just shake and start over . . .”
This conversation from Eva Marie Everson’s latest novel, Chasing Sunsets, illustrates what many of us experience in real life: reaching a point in our personal histories where we’re longing for a do-over. This is the central desire of the main character, heart-broken divorcee Kimberly Tucker, and many of the secondary characters she encounters when she spends the summer on idyllic Cedar Key Island.
Happily, some of those desires are realized as Eva Marie Everson reminds us that Christ is still in the business of making all things—and people—new. Characters receive forgiveness, new beginnings, and second chances at love as they draw closer to the Lord and allow Him to work in their hearts and lives. There’s lots of family drama, a sweet romance, poignant flashbacks, and great descriptions of the sea, the beach, and the sunsets.
My favorite character in the book was Patsy, the seventy-eight year old woman who is computer savvy enough to facebook with her grandson and yet has My Utmost for His Highest, a Daily Guideposts devotional, and a well-used Bible piled up on her nightstand. The intriguing glimpse into her past made me eager for the second book in the Cedar Key series, which will reveal Patsy’s life story.
Chasing Sunsets is not a light read, but to me, it’s a true beach read. Perhaps because I teach and our school year ends in June, I find this slower-paced time of year more conducive to making resolutions than January 1st. So I can totally relate to characters who find that a beach in the Gulf is the perfect place to re-examine their lives, allow God to point out the areas that need to change, and then use the rest of the summer days to gear up for a new year and a changed life.
“An Etch A Sketch?”
“Yes. An Etch A Sketch. Sometimes I wish life were like one of those.”
“Just shake and start over . . .”
This conversation from Eva Marie Everson’s latest novel, Chasing Sunsets, illustrates what many of us experience in real life: reaching a point in our personal histories where we’re longing for a do-over. This is the central desire of the main character, heart-broken divorcee Kimberly Tucker, and many of the secondary characters she encounters when she spends the summer on idyllic Cedar Key Island.
Happily, some of those desires are realized as Eva Marie Everson reminds us that Christ is still in the business of making all things—and people—new. Characters receive forgiveness, new beginnings, and second chances at love as they draw closer to the Lord and allow Him to work in their hearts and lives. There’s lots of family drama, a sweet romance, poignant flashbacks, and great descriptions of the sea, the beach, and the sunsets.
My favorite character in the book was Patsy, the seventy-eight year old woman who is computer savvy enough to facebook with her grandson and yet has My Utmost for His Highest, a Daily Guideposts devotional, and a well-used Bible piled up on her nightstand. The intriguing glimpse into her past made me eager for the second book in the Cedar Key series, which will reveal Patsy’s life story.
Chasing Sunsets is not a light read, but to me, it’s a true beach read. Perhaps because I teach and our school year ends in June, I find this slower-paced time of year more conducive to making resolutions than January 1st. So I can totally relate to characters who find that a beach in the Gulf is the perfect place to re-examine their lives, allow God to point out the areas that need to change, and then use the rest of the summer days to gear up for a new year and a changed life.