The Shadow of Your Smile

The death of Noelle and Eli’s daughter sends the family on a downhill spiral. Noelle has been consumed by grief and Eli busies himself with anything that gives him an excuse to be away from home. There are so many secrets. Such gut-wrenching pain — even for the reader.

One day, Noelle ends up witnessing a robbery. In her panic, she takes a fall that knocks her unconscious. When she awakens in the hospital, she has no recollection of her husband or her children. The slate is essentially wiped clean, offering the couple a chance to rebuild their relationship. Will Noelle get her memory back or would it be better if she didn’t? How does the family process their grief? What will it take to forgive?

The one thing I struggled with in this book is the idea that someone could lose 25+ years of memories (whether temporary or long-term) from taking a fall like Noelle did. I understand it’s a work of fiction, but it just nagged at me!

What I appreciated was that it was thought-provoking. I can only imagine how scary it would be to wake up having to trust strangers who claim to know you. Can you grieve for someone you cannot remember?

Would one be motivated to live life more fully?

If you lost your memory overnight, what parts of your life would you prefer to bury and what parts would you choose to preserve?

My bestie is a huge fan of SMW and now, I can totally see why! Consider me hooked!

Disclosure: I was provided a FREE copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Read the story behind The Shadow of Your Smile.

About Susan: Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan’s larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at susanmaywarren.com.

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting … Come back to Deep Haven and find out what’s been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you’re new to the Deep Haven series – this is the perfect book to start with – each book in the series is a stand alone story.

Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)

• The entire set of Deep Haven Books 

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles! Just click one of the icons below to enter and tell your friends about Susan’s giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.