Tides of the Heart [Mass Market Paperback]

Jean Stone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 1999

Some promises can never be forgotten....

The author of the bestselling Birthday Girls and Places by the Sea, Jean Stone is a gifted storyteller in the tradition of Barbara Delinsky.  In this deeply enthralling novel of friendship and family, a woman must face the secrets of the past before she can confront the future....

I am your baby--the one you gave up.  Isn't it time we met?

The unsigned letter, postmarked Martha's Vineyard, arrives like a thunderbolt out of the blue, instantly sweeping Jessica Bates back thirty years.  It was 1968 when young Jess went to Larchwood Hall, a home for unwed mothers, and gave up her beautiful baby girl for adoption.  Jess's past still haunts her--especially since she learned that her daughter died in a tragic childhood accident.

But now the letter has raised the fragile hope that there was a terrible mix-up, that Jess's daughter is still alive somewhere.  Hoping for answers, Jess makes a determined pilgrimage out to the Vineyard, out to those who know the truth about what really happened to her daughter.  There, surrounded by sand and sea and memories of lost love, she must make a choice that will change the course of her life forever....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stone (Birthday Girls) shines up a familiar plot with mature characters, riveting narrative and some surprising twists. As a teen, Jessica Bates had been forced by her unforgiving father to put up her baby daughter for adoption. Now, 30 remorseful years later, Jess receives a message: "I am your baby?the one you gave up. Isn't it time we met?" Assisted by her old pal Ginny, with whom she shares a horrifying past, Jess begins a search for her daughter that takes her to a quaint hotel on Martha's Vineyard. The events that follow (family truths revealed, love ignited and re-ignited, personal healing) are the stuff of much women's fiction, but Stone's graceful prose, vivid imagery and compassionately drawn characters make this one a standout.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Jessica Bates Randall is a divorced seamstress trying to deal with her divorce, her husband's remarriage, her oldest son's distance, her relationship with her daughter and raising her eighteen year old son on her own. More then enough for most people. On top of all of this, she receives a letter from the child that she had given up for adoption when she was a teenager. Jess thought that her baby had died twenty-five years earlier when she had been hit by a car while riding a bike. Jessica's father had forced her to live at a home for unwed mothers before she was to give up her baby, so very few people knew what had happened to her in the past. Jess wants to find out who is sending her these cruel letters. She enlists the help of Ginny, one of the girls who was at the home at the same time as Jess. Ginny is also going through a crisis; her fourth husband has just passed away and she is not dealing with it well. She is reunited with the daughter that she gave away, who is a famous t.v star. Jess also contacts Philip Archambault, an attorney and the son of one of the other unwed mothers. Phillip met his birth mother P.J, who is now dead of breast cancer, with the help of Jess and therefore feels a lot of loyalty to her. This group begins the search and unearths a shady plot of babies switched at birth. Jess must make the journey to discover whom her child is, what happened and who is to blame. Tides of the Heart is an excellent novel. It is a sequel to Sins of Innocence, although this is a book that is easily read on it's own. Jean Stone has such a way with her characters. They are so multi-dimensional and real, that you feel as though you are listening into real lives that are going on around you. The adoption plot was well done. It had none of the melodrama often associated with this topic; rather it was understated and realistic. If you like Jean Stone you'll love this book. If you haven't read Jean Stone, here's a great place to start! Tides of the heart engrosses the reader from page one! An emotional who-done-it! Jean Stone creates characters you wish were your friends. Michelle Sawyer -- Copyright © 030199 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved -- From Literary Times

Stone's graceful prose, vivid imagery and compassionately drawn characters make this one a standout -- Publishers Weekly, December 14, 1998

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (January 5, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553577867
• ISBN-13: 978-0553577860
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #525,842 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

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The return to Larchwood is a warm relationship drama, December 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Tides of the Heart (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1968, teenager Jessica Bates stayed at the Larchwood Hall for unwed mothers until she gave birth to a little girl that she gave up for adoption. Over the ensuing years, Jessica began to help her friends find the infants they gave up, but also learned that her own baby died. Jessica married, had three other children, and since divorced.

Three decades after giving up her child, Jessica receives a cryptic message that the little girl lives. She thinks it has to be a hoax, but cannot ignore the message. Jessica is happy to have a friend accompany her on her search for her daughter, which starts with the girl's father, Richard Bryant. Though fearing what she will learn, Jess realizes she must know and prays that she can one day hug her "little girl".

TIDES OF THE HEART, the sequel to SINS OF INNOCENTS, is a warm relationship drama that provides the story of Jessica, a prime mover in the first novel. The angst-laden story line will steal readers' hearts as the characters struggle with deceit and revelations that shake the very core of their essence. Jean Stone is one of the leading writers of deep relationship tales that tug at the souls of the audience.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tides of the Heart, July 22, 2002

By 

Donna R. Russell "10s4me" (Winchester, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tides of the Heart (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the first Jean Stine book that I have read and I'm ready to order more. Great characters.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful sequel to SINS OF INNOCENCE!, June 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Tides of the Heart (Mass Market Paperback)

What a pleasant surprise to see a sequel to Ms. Stone's excellent book, SINS OF INNOCENCE, a story of 4 unwed girls who gave up their babies for adoption. This book reminds me of why Ms. Stone is my favorite romance author. She knows how to write about women's feelings and the friendships between women with Jessica and Ginny as the lead characters (P.J. passed away in the previous book and Susan is out of the picture). Again, she manages to touch my heart with all the emotion and compassion that she portrays in this book. I love the way she writes dialogue. Her description of Martha's Vineyard sounds quaint and inviting, like someplace I would like to visit soon.

I found myself spending every waking moment reading this book and waiting to see what would happen next, but didn't want the book to end. Great work, Ms. Stone! I am anxiously awaiting your next wonderful novel.