Candles on Bay Street (Mass Market Paperback)

by K.C. McKinnon (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
K.C. McKinnon, nom de plume of respected literary novelist Cathie Pelletier, weaves a poignant tale of lifelong friendship, golden memories, forgotten dreams, and love in all its guises in Candles on Bay Street. Years after leaving his childhood home of Fort Kent, Maine, veterinarian Sam Thibodeau returns with his wife and veterinary partner, Lydia Newhart, to open a practice. Sam had grown up, under the watchful eyes of the town's citizens, loving from afar Dee Dee Michaud, voted the biggest flirt and prettiest girl four years running. When Dee Dee left town immediately after high school graduation, she was engaged to Bobby Langford, whose only claim to fame was his brand-new gold Corvette. So Sam devoted himself to achieving his other, more scholarly dreams. And although he had faithfully followed his first love's progress via the small town grapevine, Sam is surprised when Dee Dee suddenly returns to Fort Kent with her young son, Trooper, in tow and Bobby Langford nowhere in sight. Dee Dee's small business, Candles on Bay Street, gains a loyal following, and Trooper settles in, making friends and spending time with Sam in the clinic and on rounds to the local community. But things are not the same. The once vivacious Dee Dee seems withdrawn and secretive, even as friends old and new reach out to enfold Trooper and his mother in their arms.

McKinnon has created a touching fable of love lost and found, friendships renewed, and the greatest gift of all--the sense of family that exceeds the bonds of blood or name. --Alison Trinkle --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Again writing under the McKinnon pseudonym (Dancing at the Harvest Moon), veteran novelist Cathie Pelletier (The Funeral Makers) tugs at the heartstrings in a formulaic weeper with a feel-good message. "She was the childhood sweetheart I wanted to marry," says nice-guy Sam Thibodeau, a veterinarian in Fort Kent, Maine, of his childhood friend, Dee Dee Michaud. But back in 1982, Dee Dee drove off with local bad boy Bobby Langford in his gold Corvette, leaving Sam still carrying the torch. After an absence of 15 years, Dee Dee returns with her son, nine-year-old Trooper, and she sets up a store called Bay Street Candles in her home. Much to Sam's chagrin, his wife, Lydia, and Dee Dee become best friends and soul sisters, with nary a touch of jealousy over Sam. All too soon McKinnon's heavy-handed foreshadowing makes it clear that Dee Dee has chosen to return to Fort Kent for the saddest of reasons. Overused candle metaphors and Dee Dee's saccharine belief that every time you light a candle an angel is born illuminate the strikingly pale heroine's plight a bit too clearly. McKinnon skirts lugubrious overkill with some humorous touches, however, and the ending is quietly touching without being overly mawkish. Her strength here is the well-developed notion that while small town life, with its judgments and scandals, is often a place one escapes from, one can come home again for emotional and spiritual sustenance.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (October 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449005550
• ISBN-13: 978-0449005552
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #737,651 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A One-Sitting Book...., October 1, 2004

By	Molly (Lincoln City OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Candles on Bay Street (Hardcover)

This is a quick read, but a touching one. If you're looking for a story about life, love and loss, this might be the one for you. I picked it up, like others, looking for some relationship drama when the back discussed old high school loves meeting up after many years. I certainly did not get what was expected, but I was moved by the story enough to tear up, something I rarely do while reading. If you're looking for a light read, a pick-me-upper, I wouldn't recommend this one. But if you're in the mood for something a little more serious that might make you take a look at life a little differently, at least temporarily, then I would recommend this title.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A sweet tear-jerker of a book ~~, June 14, 2001

By	Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I had read her other book "The Funeral Makers," so when I saw this one sitting out, I knew it was going to be just as good as her other book ~~ and it was.

But I have to recommend you buy a box of kleenexs ~~ it is heart-wrenching and so sad as well as uplifting. Now that you have this warning, don't hesitate to buy this book. It is a book about friendships, first loves and hope.

Sam Thibodeau returns with his wife and veterinary partner, Lydia Newhart, and embarks on a new chapter in his life. Dee Dee, his oldest friend and first true love returns home with her son, Trooper, Sam revisits old memories and forgotten dreams. Dee Dee not only comes home, she comes home with a secret ~~ and Sam and Lydia become involved with Dee Dee and Trooper. Dee Dee gets involved with candle-making (with those delicious quotes about candles interspersed throughout the book ~~ this book is a booklover's dream!) and renews old friendships along the way.

It didn't take me long to read this book ~~ as it is a slim book and it is one that just grabs your attention by the eyes and you won't be able to put it down. Don't pick it up if you have lots of weekend plans ~~ I can guarantee you that your stuff won't get done till you finish this book. It's easy to read, the characters are unforgettable and of course, there's all those little quotes to keep your interest riveted. It's such a darling little book ~~ just don't forget your box of kleenexes.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a beautiful love story!, August 29, 2001

By	Jean Camp (Augusta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Candles on Bay Street (Hardcover)

Fort Kent, ME, a small town on the Canadian border, is the home of Sam Thibodeaux and his wife, Lydia, both veterinarians. The book opens with Sam and Lydia building towards their personal and professional dreams. Dee Dee Michaud, Sam's high school sweetheart, arrives back in town with her nine-year-old son. Sam remembers back to those long ago days when he had special interests in Dee Dee..... and he finds himself more than a bit curious all these years later. Dee Dee, the now single mom has a secret to tell and with this revelation, lives change. Just when I thought here is another story of a man losing interest in his wife for a long, lost love, the turn of events made me not put the book down until every last word had been read and absorbed. Ahhhhh. This was my first read by this author, but was not to be the last. I have since read others by her, and all of her remaining books are on my shelf waiting their turns. Character building was a very positive part of this book.