Stargazey Point

July 1, 2013
A child's fingers slip away from Abbie Sinclair's frantic rescue attempts, drowning into the mud, while her lover, Werner, is captured and left to die due to corporate greed in Peru. The trauma leaves her suffocating in confused, guilty nightmares, unable to resume her work as a documentary filmmaker. Why did Werner continue to film instead of helping her rescue the child? Why did she allow herself to be dragged to safety? Her best friend, Celeste, sends Abbie to recuperate with her relatives in the genteel poverty of Stargazey Point, S.C. The three octogenarian Crispin siblings, of course, need Abbie as much as she needs them. Marnie's mysterious past gives her the strength to manage her sister, Millie, who refuses to give up on their dilapidated house. Their brother, Beau, obsessively sculpts wood and helps Cabot Reynolds--the small town's prodigal son--restore his uncle's carousel. Abbie meets darkly handsome Cab at dinner her first night with the Crispins. Suspicious of Abbie's motives, Cab reluctantly squires her about town. Things turn sentimental at this point, with a flock of neglected, impoverished--and in some cases abused--children, who desperately need Abbie's attention, and an old Gullah woman, whose second sight penetrates to the very core of every troubled soul. Noble's (Beach Colors, 2012) sophomore novel unfortunately does little with the intriguing threads of Abbie's haunted past, instead weaving her troubling tale into a standard romance. From Cab's flight from a materialistic fiancee and heartless corporate exploitation to Beau's mysterious reluctance to show his art, the troubles in Stargazey Point evoke little surprise. Even the careful restoration of the carousel becomes a metaphor for the simple notion that helping others is the key to healing the self. In this romance, emotional damage is no match for the power of kindness.

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July 1, 2013
Slow-paced yet with a nicely detailed setting, Noble's second novel explores how hearts can heal despite the deepest wounds. Abbie Sinclair traveled the world shooting documentaries until a horrific tragedy sent her back to the U.S. Reeling from shock, grief, and feelings of guilt, she finds her way through a friend to Stargazey Point, South Carolina, a dying little town with an eroded beachfront, shuttered businesses, an old carousel with its lights long dimmed, and distinctly interesting residents. The gracious yet somewhat eccentric Crispin siblings, septuagenarians Millie, Marnie, and Beau, open their home to Abbie, where she finds a safe mooring to regain her emotional bearings. Cab Reynolds harbors suspicions that Abbie is a greedy land developer out to snare the Crispins and their rundown yet stately home. A host of characters passes through Abbie's stay, each one creating an impression on her soul that just might lead her out of the darkness of her past and into a new life of hope. Richly layered, this should appeal to fans of large-cast southern reads.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)