The Edge of Winter (Mass Market Paperback)

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Key Phrases: The Edge of Winter, Rhode Island, Cole Landry (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A maimed owl and a sunken U-boat spark an inordinate amount of activism, romance and multigenerational family healing in this winsome melodrama. Out to observe a single rare snowy owl, high school beauty and passionate bird-watcher Mickey crashes her bicycle and goes sailing into the arms of soulful surfer-dude Shane. She joins his guerrilla campaign to prevent greedy developer Cole Landry from raising said U-boat from its resting place just off their local Rhode Island beach, where the underwater hulk churns up sublimely gnarly waves. Meanwhile, Mickey's struggling divorced mom, Neve, falls for hunky park ranger Tim, who has his own anguished reasons for revering the submarine. When the developer's son, Josh, bashes the owl with a log, Mickey, Shane and Neve take it to an ancient raptor healer, who, in an unsurprising coincidence, turns out to be Tim's estranged dad, Joe O'Casey, the commander of the navy ship that sank the U-boat. From this tangle of totems and relationships erupts a torrent of emotional catharsis and romantic rapture that salves the psychic scars of war. Yes, it's saccharine (" 'Love's what counts in this world... even for snowy owls' ") and soap-operatic, but Rice (Sandcastles) draws her cast of appealing characters sharply, from overexcitable teens to disarmingly deadbeat dads, and her significant storytelling skills are fully deployed. (Feb. 27)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Rhode Island teenager Mickey and her best friend, Jenna, have shared a love of bird watching, but now they are growing apart as Jenna becomes part of the cool crowd and Mickey clings to her love of nature. She also has to deal with the finality of her parents' divorce and her burgeoning feelings for an outcast surfer. When Mickey finds a snowy owl at Refuge Beach, she brings together her mother and the park ranger Tim O'Casey, a World War II hero and raptor expert. When the owl is injured, and the beach is threatened by a developer who is attempting to dig up a sunken U-boat that is a treasured part of the community's history, a bond forms between adults and teens as they try to save the owl and the refuge, and maybe even heal themselves. Once again Rice weaves together an involving tale of love, loss, and redemption, then deepens the story with a resonant appreciation for nature. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (November 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055358765X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553587654
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #117,631 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely, October 28, 2007

By	Marilyn T. Schoberg (Elkhorn, WI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Edge of Winter (Hardcover)

I, too, was surprised by the negative reviews of this book. What was the point? asked one reviewer. The long-reaching effects of war, of course! And the book made me research WWII U-Boats off our eastern coast, which I was never aware of; guess I missed that in history class! I think the alcoholic father's character was handled realistically. I loved the beach scenes and the snowy owl story line (if you like to read about the raptors, as the background in a novel, I recommend Skyward by Mary Alice Monroe). Luanne Rice always works something ethereal into her plots, which brings another dimension to the story. I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because of some nit-picks. At one point, Mickey, the teenage protagonist, recalls her father "try to explain to her how when he was a little boy the war had come to his own backyard". Her father is said to be in his early 40s, so unless the story took place 20 years ago (it didn't; the characters have cell phones), her dad was not born then. Also at one point she quotes "an old James Taylor song", which in fact is an Eagles song. The style of writing that's more and more popular with this sort of author, is kind of annoying as well: "they came out behind St. George's School. Passed the road leading to Purgatory Chasm, down the hill past Second Beach, round the bend by Third Beach". I'm sure she's disabled the grammar feature on her Word program HA! But, all in all, a very nice read.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Sweet, Lyrical, 'War-Ravaged' Story, May 19, 2007

By	Cheryl Tardif "bestselling suspense author" (Edmonton, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Edge of Winter (Hardcover)

Luanne Rice's latest novel, The Edge of Winter, was a delight to read. It is not a fast-paced novel filled with mega-action or explosions. There is no big chase scene or hold your breath pivotal moment. What it does have is a slow, steady buildup of plot and an intense look at the lives of numerous scarred characters and how they are intertwined, brought together by old wars, new wars, love, family ties, death, secrets and forgiveness. If you're patient with this book, you'll come to know these characters and care for them...and miss them when you're done.

The Edge of Winter is a journey, rich with details of the land and nature--of snowy owls, windswept beaches and watery graves. It is the story of Mickey and her mom, Neve. A story of sweet, innocent first love and cautious, suspicious second love. Mickey is a teenager with a soft spot for all things wounded, including an injured owl and Shane, a lonely teenaged boy with a passion for surfing. Neve, frustrated with her `deadbeat' ex-husband, is drawn to Tim O'Casey, the ranger from Refuge Beach, where a German submarine had sank off the coast after being bombed in World War II.

When a rich and powerful man decides to raise the submarine and turn it into a museum, Mickey and Shane are spurred on to save the submarine's resting place and a piece of their history. But there are secrets that haunt the waters. Perhaps, the lost souls don't want to be raised. In this story, there are many lost souls who need saving, and that may be its only down side. It may be unrealistic to wrap up every character in a 'happily ever after' theme, but I know (as an author myself) it is so very tempting.

The Edge of Winter is a tribute to Luanne's father, a navigator-bombardier who flew in World War II, and to all the men and women fighting wars, then and now, on both sides. The author writes about the far-reaching and ravaging effects of war that carry on for generations. We are shown how forgiveness and understanding can set free even the most crippling guilt. The last few chapters are very emotional and really bring forth the author's message: "It was war."

A simple but heartfelt summer read with unforgettable characters, perfect for reading while at the cottage or relaxing on a beach. I gave this novel 4.5 stars mainly because my favorite Luanne Rice novel is still Beach Girls.

~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif
Author of Divine Intervention

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!, August 12, 2007

By	L. Wade (Westminster, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Edge of Winter (Hardcover)

I was suprised at the low rating by others of this book. It's one of the best books I've read in a long time. I plan to pass it on to several people. It was so moving. I love the characters and the descriptive setting. I was disappointed when I was finished reading it because I know it will be awhile before I find another book that I enjoy so much.