Crossing Oceans [Paperback]

Gina Holmes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2010

2011 Carol Award winner for Debut Author from ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers)
Jenny Lucas swore she’d never go home again. But being told you’re dying has a way of changing things. Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank–toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella’s dad . . . Who doesn’t yet know he has a daughter. As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything—to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings . . . Even overcome the impossible. A stunning debut about love and loss from a talented new voice.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jenny Lucas has returned to her childhood home, a refuge of picket fences and lace-covered tabletops. But with an intensity likely garnered from years of unpublished suspense writing, debut novelist and blogger Holmes slowly unveils the hidden angst in this homecoming. A single mother, Jenny must find caregivers who will raise her five-year-old daughter when she's gone. She's forced to mend relations with two possible custodians: the baby's father, who doesn't know he has a child, and her own cold-hearted father. As Jenny comes to face her future as well as her past, dramatic emotions yield to an appreciation of life and an enjoyment of the grace of fleeting moments. There can be no happy ending, but Holmes ties a neat bow of acceptance around this haunting tale that packs an emotional wallop. Keep tissues near. (May)
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From Booklist

Jenny Lucas has to go home again—she's dying of cancer. As the single mother of a young daughter, Isabella, Jenny knows the little girl needs a family. There's only one problem. Jenny never told her high-school sweetheart, David, that he had a daughter. Now she has only months to heal old wounds, and she prays this will be done before her death. Holmes' characters are so real they pop from the pages: David, his current wife (a nice surprise), an earthy grandmother, a bitter father, and Jenny herself. Healing doesn't come easily in this dramatic, emotional, faith-based novel about a prodigal daughter who seeks forgiveness on an unforgiving deadline. --Shelley Mosley

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (May 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414333056
• ISBN-13: 978-1414333052
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (230 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,126 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gina Holmes is the President and founder of Inspire a Fire and Novel Rocket and award-winning author of Crossing Oceans and Dry as Rain. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her husband and children in southern Virginia. She works too hard, laughs too loud, and longs to see others heal from their past and discover their God-given purpose. To learn more about her, visit www.ginaholmes.com, www.novelrocket.com or www.inspireafire.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

97 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwrenchingly Beautiful, April 22, 2010

By 

Ashley M. Weis - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crossing Oceans (Paperback)

I am one of the pickiest readers and this book captivated me from page one. Not only is Gina Holme's a terrific writer with beautiful prose, but her story is as real as it gets. It's not often a book can make me laugh out loud and cry all within the same bound pages, but Crossing Oceans did that and more. It's a painfully beautiful story that will keep you awake until 2am just to finish it in one sitting. You won't want to leave her characters. In fact, I want to know them more. I highly recommend this book and I can only say that about less than a handful of fiction books out there. This is one you won't want to miss! Can't wait to read more from this lovely author.

85 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Stunning Debut, April 22, 2010

By 

Ane Mulligan "V.P./Sr. Editor, Novel Rocket" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Crossing Oceans (Paperback)

I've read thousands of books in my lifetime, but few have ever stayed with me like Crossing Oceans. Gina Holmes taps into every emotion known to man, and she does it well. She has truly mastered the art of storytelling. The young mother, Jenny, will capture your heart on the first page, as will her daughter, Isabella. But this isn't a simple story by any means. It's deep and complex. You'll go from tears to laughter, and when you turn the last page, you'll wish it wasn't. This is a book you want to go on. I highly recommend it.

270 of 316 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Warning: This is a religious book, September 27, 2011

By 

B. Cantwell (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Crossing Oceans (Paperback)

That tidbit doesn't turn up on this product's page. If I had known it was a religious book, I would not have bothered with it. If you don't have a religious mindset, then you probably will not like this. Plus, it seems targeted to 6th graders, not adults.

Don't bother flaming me. I'm just sending this out to warn others. I'm not the only one in the world who feels this way and I wish I had noticed a review that mentioned it.