Lorelie L. (artgal36) reviewed on 4/11/2007 + 471 more book reviews

Jessica Bates Randall is a divorced seamstress trying to deal with her divorce, her husband's remarriage, her oldest son's distance, her relationship with her daughter and raising her eighteen year old son on her own. More then enough for most people. On top of all of this, she receives a letter from the child that she had given up for adoption when she was a teenager. Jess thought that her baby had died twenty-five years earlier when she had been hit by a car while riding a bike. Jessica's father had forced her to live at a home for unwed mothers before she was to give up her baby, so very few people knew what had happened to her in the past. Jess wants to find out who is sending her these cruel letters. She enlists the help of Ginny, one of the girls who was at the home at the same time as Jess. Ginny is also going through a crisis; her fourth husband has just passed away and she is not dealing with it well. She is reunited with the daughter that she gave away, who is a famous t.v star. Jess also contacts Philip Archambault, an attorney and the son of one of the other unwed mothers. Phillip met his birth mother P.J, who is now dead of breast cancer, with the help of Jess and therefore feels a lot of loyalty to her. This group begins the search and unearths a shady plot of babies switched at birth. Jess must make the journey to discover whom her child is, what happened and who is to blame. Tides of the Heart is an excellent novel. It is a sequel to Sins of Innocence, although this is a book that is easily read on it's own. Jean Stone has such a way with her characters. They are so multi-dimensional and real, that you feel as though you are listening into real lives that are going on around you. The adoption plot was well done. It had none of the melodrama often associated with this topic; rather it was understated and realistic. If you like Jean Stone you'll love this book. If you haven't read Jean Stone, here's a great place to start! Tides of the heart engrosses the reader from page one! An emotional who-done-it! Jean Stone creates characters you wish were your friends.

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