Her Mother's Shadow [Hardcover]

Diane Chamberlain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2004

Lacey O'Neill, while trying to care for the rebellious daughter of her late best friend, finally learns the truth about her own mother's murder when a stranger arrives in the town of Kiss River, exposing the mysteries of the past.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Chamberlain (Kiss River; Keeper of the Light; etc.) bridges the gap between romance and relationship novels in another tale of lost family and found love on North Carolina's Outer Banks. On Christmas 1990, 13-year-old Lacey O'Neill watches as her mother, a volunteer at a battered women's shelter, is fatally shot by a man aiming at his estranged wife. Lacey grows up in thrall to her mother's memory, at first trying to emulate the saintly Annie and later rejecting her after learning about her many infidelities. As the novel opens in 2003, Lacey is living in Kiss River with her brother, Clay, and his family, working in her stained-glass studio and reading books about healthy relationships. But when her best friend is killed in a car accident, Lacey becomes the guardian of her preteen daughter, Mackenzie. Familiar with rebellion and loss, Lacey struggles to help bitter Mackenzie, who finds some relief in helping Clay train dogs. Meanwhile, Lacey wavers between Bobby, the former bad boy she's sure is Mackenzie's father, and Rick, the handsome lawyer who arrives in town just as Lacey's trying to write a statement protesting the parole of her mother's killer. Meanwhile, a middle-aged nurse's search for her estranged son leads her from San Diego back to the Outer Banks to reveal some secrets of her own. Bringing in characters from past novels and introducing folks sure to show up in future ones, Chamberlain adeptly unfolds layers of rage, guilt, longing, repression and rebellion while gently preaching a message of trust and forgiveness. Complex, credible characterization raises her saga so far above soap opera that even readers who are not already fans will sympathize with the flawed but caring people she compassionately evokes.
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From Booklist

Twenty-five-year-old stained glass artist Lacey O'Neill is the focus of this fine sequel to Kiss River [BKL F 1 03]. Her newfound stability is threatened when she is named guardian of her childhood best friend's 11-year-old daughter. Mackenzie is justifiably angry that her young mother was killed by a drunk driver, and that she is forced to leave everyone she has ever known to go to Kiss River with a virtual stranger. In the midst of all these conflicts Lacey is also juggling two men: bad-boy Bobby who took her virginity at age 14 and then spent the summer with her best friend, and Rick, an extremely attractive--in a buttoned-down sort of way--law professor who is visiting the Outer Banks while working on a book. On top of all this, the man who murdered her mother is up for parole and Lacey's victim statement may affect the decision. Chamberlain has penned another compelling women's novel with characters who become real through their talents, compassion, and indiscretions. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Mira (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778320170
• ISBN-13: 978-0778320173
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #346,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey where, at the age of twelve, I wrote several dreadful novellas, read and admired only by my family. When college rolled around, I forgot about writing and received my bachelor's and master's degrees in Social Work from San Diego State University. I was a hospital social worker in San Diego, and later in Washington DC. I also had a private psychotherapy practice working mainly with teenagers. All the while, I was writing on the side. I viewed my writing as a hobby, but it quickly became a passion. I finally decided to take a class in 'writing the novel.' I was very shy about showing my work to the instructor, but when I finally did, he loved it! He encouraged me to aim for publication and I decided to go for it. A few years later, my first novel, PRIVATE RELATIONS, was published.

Since then, I've written about a book a year-eternity-one at last count. I now live in North Carolina, the beautiful state where many of my books are set and where I'm ten minutes from my grandbabies. I share my life with my soulmate, John, who's a photographer as well as my muse, and with my two shelties, Keeper and Jet.

Are you wondering what my books are about? One of my readers in Japan had this to say about my work: "You make me believe life is beautiful even if it is full of pain and rage." Her words touch me deeply. They hang on the wall above my computer and help me remember exactly what it is I'm trying to achieve in my stories. I hope you'll enjoy them.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diane Chamberlain Does it Again!, February 22, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: Her Mother's Shadow (Hardcover)

Do you remember the last time you started a book at 9:00 PM and read all night until you finished? I thought I was too old to do that anymore, that surely no matter how good a book was that I would fall asleep before long. I was wrong. Last night at about 9:00 PM I went into the bedroom to watching Trading Spaces (hubby was watching TV out in the living room) and started HER MOTHER?S SHADOW by Diane Chamberlain. Eight hours, three cans of Diet Pepsi and a bag of microwave popcorn later, I finally turned the last page (#380) and turned off the light. I would have read faster but I did watch quite a bit of TS and SNL <g>.

I can?t for the life of me figure out why Diane Chamberlain's books aren?t regulars on the bestseller lists (she is the second author I think this about, the other being Emilie Richards). She is definitely on par with Kristin Hannah, Barbara Delinsky, et al.

HER MOTHER?S SHADOW concludes the ?Kiss River Trilogy? that began with KEEPER OF THE LIGHT in the early 90s (reissued last year) and continued with KISS RIVER last year. As much as I loved KOTL, I think I liked this one even more. For those of you unfamiliar with this series, KOTL has one of the most powerful opening chapters I have ever read where Olivia is called to the ER to try to save the life of a woman who has been shot. She is shocked to find that the woman is Annie O?Neill ? the woman her husband has been having an affair with; a woman who does so much good in the community she is referred to as ?Saint Anne.? So that is really Olivia?s story. When I heard Chamberlain was writing a sequel, I thought sure the second book would be Lacey?s story ? the daughter of Annie who witnessed her murder and began a downward spiral of self-destructive behavior told in KoTL. But KISS RIVER instead brought in a new character, Gina, who although new to Kiss River, had family ties there. I was thrilled to know though that the third book in the trilogy would indeed be Lacey?s book.

In HER MOTHER?S SHADOW, Lacey?s story is interwoven with the story of Faye Collier, a nurse in San Diego. Her connection with Lacey and Kiss River isn?t known right away but her story is very interesting as she helps a successful physician overcome the grief of losing his wife. Of course, Faye has a secret, one that is not revealed until much later in the book. There are two main story lines in HMS, one of Lacey?s mother?s killer coming up for parole, and the one of Lacey?s childhood best friend being killed in an auto accident and inexplicably putting in her will that Lacey is to be 11-year-old Mackenzie?s guardian.

I am trying so hard to avoid spoilers here! As in her other books, suffice to say there are rather shocking secrets, family relationships, and romance. We also have appearances by characters in the other two books of the trilogy. All of this combine for a book that is absolutely unputdownable!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars intriguing character study, February 1, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: Her Mother's Shadow (Hardcover)

On Christmas Eve 1990, Annie O?Neill and her thirteen year old daughter Lacey work at woman?s shelter on the Carolina Outer Banks. Suddenly, an angry man, Zachary Pointer breaks into the shelter with a gun. He fires apparently at his wife, but instead kills Annie. Lacey is traumatized and over the years heads down a destructive path of men and drugs.

Years later Lacey learns that her mother was not the perfect paragon as the woman had affairs. Feeling betrayed, Lacey vows no more men and no more volunteer work as she will do nothing that emulates her mother?s good and bad behavior. However, Lacey has a new problem to deal with and it is a very important one. Her deceased best friend named her as guardian to her troubled preadolescent Mackenzie. To help the traumatized child, Lacey will have to finally confront the ghost of Annie that haunts her every moment of her life.

HER MOTHER?S SHADOW is an intriguing character study that provides the audience with a deep look at how a tragedy can impact the survivor. The fine story line works quite well as Lacey copes poorly with her mother?s death and then with her mother crashing from the pedestal that she built for her. Mackenzie serves as an impetus to force Lacey to deal with her image of her mother and how that has stopped her from being all she can be. Sub-genre fans will find Diane Chamberlain?s latest Outer Banks tale quite fascinating even if at times it is a bit sentimental.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What An Amazing Journey: Read Trilogy in Order, June 25, 2010

By 

Clicia Tremblay - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Her Mother's Shadow (Mira) (Mass Market Paperback)

I just finished reading "In Her Mother's Shadow" - finishing the "Keeper of the Light" trilogy. Once again, I finished in one big swoop, staying up most of the night with it bt what a journey!! I loved the way Diane Chamberlain concluded the trilogy though I want more and feel that there are still quite a few books left. IMO, Diane did a great job with developing the characters. It was such a delight to see them all evolve and "grow up". I read all the 3 books within a day or so of each other and I am SOOO glad I read "Keeper of the Light" first and knew nothing about. Pl do yourself a favor and do that- start reading the trilogy in order and don't read reviews yet as not to spoil your experience. One can still get a lot out of reading the books apart and out of order, bt oh, you will be greatly rewarded by experiencing the storyline in order and without much knowledge of the secrets that bind the character together and set them apart, I can see how even well-intentioned reviewers tend to give tib-bits away, so resist the urge and then just plunge in. If like me, you read a lot, have a discerning eye for good fiction, appreciate characters studies and are attracted to storyline about families and all the secrets and ties that bind us together - the good/the bad/the ugly, then you will be rewarded with this trilogy.