Beach Roses [Mass Market Paperback]

Jean Stone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2003

Miracles happen where you least expect them.

No one captures the tides of a woman’s heart quite like Jean Stone. Set on New England’s celebrated Martha’s Vineyard, this novel brings together three courageous women whose struggles reveal startling truths and ultimately change their lives.
 
The women begin as strangers: Rita has a past that cannot stay hidden for long; Katie, the vibrant rock star, must choose between saving her own life and the life of her unborn child; Hannah, a selfless housewife, finds herself abandoned by her friends just when she needs them most; and Faye, the wealthy executive, thinks she’s already survived the greatest fight of her life. Before the summer ends, these women will form a lasting bond—in a season when old hurts are finally healed, love is rekindled, and life begins anew.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Spirited Rita has lived on Martha's Vineyard all of her life and would do anything to help the Vineyard community. So when Doc Hastings asks her to run a support group for women with breast cancer, Rita agrees, even though she has no medical training and has not been affected by breast cancer herself. The group consists of Katie, the pregnant rock goddess who must make some serious decisions; Hannah, the housewife who is so used to taking care of everyone else she's forgotten how to take care of herself; and Faye, the wealthy socialite who feels that she has nothing to live for. When these very different women come together, they slowly begin to form a bond based at first on their cancer and then on experiences of motherhood, marriage, strained family relationships, and long-buried secrets. As Stone's characters face the hardships of illness and life, they turn to each other for support, guidance, protection, and unconditional love. Rich in both humorous moments and sobering turns, Stone's novel shows that true friendship knows no bounds. Megan Kalan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“Graceful prose, vivid imagery and compassionately drawn characters.”—Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055358412X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553584127
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jean Stone writes about the dynamics of friendships between women - the good, the bad, and the tastefully unfortunate. She also writes under the name Abby Drake. Check out her Website: http://www.jeanstone.com for details, updates, and a fun video about her latest book, PERFECT LITTLE LADIES.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyable story of sisterhood and female bonding., August 31, 2005

By 

Donna K. "bookcrosser" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beach Roses (Mass Market Paperback)

Four women of various ages, from different walks-of-life, with assorted personal issues, are thrown together in a breast cancer support group each was reluctant to participate in. As their individual troubles (aside from the cancer) unravel, and their pasts are revealed, they unexpectedly help each other make journeys of resolution, forgiveness and self-sufficiency. They each learn to prioritize their lives and move forward in positive directions.

I love stories of women who would otherwise have nothing in common make a connection and develop reliable and strong friendships!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Unputdownable!!!, May 4, 2003

By 

Beachreader "BeachReader" (Port Townsend, WA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Beach Roses (Mass Market Paperback)

Rita Blair Rollins has no idea why Doc Hastings thinks she is qualified to lead a women's breast cancer support group. She figures they will soon find out just how unqualified she is and find someone else. But being the kind soul she is, she leaps to the challenge. She knows too that this is just one more step in an anonymous benefactor donating money for a much-needed Women's Health Center on Martha's Vineyard.

Katie Gillette is an American pop princess who has taken the music world by storm. Most of her material has been covers of her mothers songs, her mother being a huge star in the 70s. Her father, who helped make her mother a star, has done the same with Katie. After a long time trying to get Katie booked in Central Park, he succeeds in a booking for the 4th of July. Katie should be thrilled. But she isn't. How can she tell her father she won't be able to perform? How can she tell him that she is not only pregnant but also has breast cancer? To get away from it all, she leaves the Big Apple for Martha's Vineyard, eventually reconciling with her reclusive mother who lives there.

Hannah has lived on Martha's Vineyard for years moving there after a shameful incident has made her give up her dream of becoming a doctor. She is married with three children, including one rebellious teenager. A schoolteacher, Hannah's marriage has been troubled due to her husband's distance and she has struck up a friendship with the school principal. She has her hands full with her family and her radiation treatments, but she really hopes for more than friendship with the principal.

Faye is a successful business woman from Boston whose cancer has returned. She is sure this time it will be fatal. Before she dies she wants to find the son who she hasn't heard from in 10 years. He fled their Martha's Vineyard beach house, blaming himself for a family tragedy. Needing some time for herself, she leaves Boston for the beach house, and all its memories. She is shocked to find herself face to face with the woman she blames for breaking up her marriage.

These four very different women forge a friendship and help each other through many different battles in addition to their breast cancer. Jean Stone has written a real pageturner. I absolutely couldn't put it down. This is the first book I've read by this author and it certainly won't be the last. Reminiscent of books by authors such as Kristin Hannah, Luanne Rice, and Barbara Delinsky, this book will also appeal to romance readers who like that happily-ever-after ending.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars poignant drama, April 12, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beach Roses (Mass Market Paperback)

An anonymous benefactor is willing to contribute to a wellness center if the residents of Martha's Vineyard show they want it. Doctor Hastings comes up with the idea of a breast cancer support group to show how much the center is needed and asks Rita Blair-Rollins to be the head of it. She reluctantly agrees because she wants what is best to help see her three charges through their ordeals.

Katie is a teen-age rock star who won't start treatment until she gives birth to her baby; her father, who molded her career, doesn't want to recognize his daughter's different priorities. Hannah, has to emotionally support her weak husband and wild fifteen-year old daughter while she is undergoing chemotherapy. Faye, a Boston businesswoman, thinks she has nothing to live for now that her cancer has reoccurred. These four women share their trials and triumphs and in the process form a bond that can never be broken.

If the audience seeks a happily ever ending, BEACH ROSES is not the book to read. However, the plot provides courage and hope when survival seems dimmer than a black hole. These intrepid women cannot ignore their troubles, but find faith with one another and some other caring friends. Jean Stone writes a poignant drama that focuses on human triumph during the most traumatic faults and frailties.

Harriet Klausner