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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful!, February 8, 2006
Four childhood friends reunite in San Diego to celebrate their fortieth birthdays. The women believe they are going to reconnect with childhood friends, but when they collect at the old beach house, their past and present collide and their journey into the future begins. Dr. Jo Zambruski is the force behind the reunion. She invited her friends to visit California after a trip down memory lane when she found an old photograph of the four friends. When Jo, Char, Molly, and Andie meet for the first time in twelve years, it is to relive the memories, experience the closeness of friends and escape from everyday life. But each woman is faced with the truth of their lives, and one by one, they face their struggles of adultery, fading love, pregnancy and vocational choices with support from each other and by renewing their faith in God. I wasn't familiar with Sally John before reading The Beach House. I really didn't expect that I would enjoy the book. Boy was I wrong! She writes an enthralling story with fully developed characters that are experiencing the problems that many women of faith face daily. And she does it with warmth, realism and sensitivity. The four friends, an intriguing beach house and two men of God are frosting to this delicious novel. If you want to laugh, are not ashamed to read a novel and shed a tear or two and perhaps even praise the Lord out loud, read The Beach House and you will probably do all three. Armchair Interviews says: It's a wonderful story that is guaranteed to leave you with the knowledge that God has a plan for all of us.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sally John Weaves a Web Around Her Readers, January 18, 2006
When four women reunite to celebrate their fortieth birthdays in San Diego, past meets present, and their lives are changed forever. An irresistible desire for the closeness they used to share prompts Dr. Jo Zambruski to invite her childhood friends Char, Molly and Andie to California. The women look forward to the camaraderie of old friends and escape from everyday life, but inevitably, relaxation turns to reflection, and each guest must face t\he struggles and decisions she brought along with her sandals and sunglasses. What's in this house by the sea that helps four old friends reconnect? If they give each other a week to be transparent with one another, will long-hidden secrets finally be revealed? Will they find the answers together they have struggled to find alone? Talented author Sally John weaves a web around her readers, drawing them into her characters' world. I read this book in two sittings, unable to put it down. These ladies came alive, each with a crossroads-crisis in her life. John offers wonderful insight into each woman's make up, and how she handles her problems. I loved how she portrays Molly's faith: strong for others, but her own in peril. Andie struggles with debilitating fear; Char, temptation from a marriage that's stagnant, and Jo is caught in a tidal wave of emotions, carried on the crest by guilt. Sally John seamlessly ties the sub-plots together through masterful writing. Her secondary characters are just as delightful as the main ones and tote a tad of mystery around them. When I turned the last page of The Beach House, I sighed. I didn't want it to end. I wanted to know more about these ladies. But, oh, what a satisfying read-one of the best of the year. This was the first novel I'd read by Sally John, but you can bet I'll seek out other novels by her. She's hooked another fan!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Satisfying Read, July 27, 2006
I have been a long time reader of Sally John's books, and never once have I been disappointed. In The Beach House, Sally John weaves a lovely story of four childhood friends who have just turned 40, but have lost contact over the last twelve years. To celebrate their respective birthdays, they agree to share a beach house for one week and re-connect. Each woman is experiencing a time of trial, and Sally's expertise and style of writing sweeps the reader along in a medley of emotion, spiritual encouragement, and laughter. What more could a reader want?
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