MrsK Books: The Guest Book by Marybeth Whalen

Saturday, March 9, 2019

The Guest Book by Marybeth Whalen

Marybeth Whalen

ISBN: 9780310334743

Publisher's Synopsis:

When Macy Dillon was five years old her father encouraged her to draw a picture in the guestbook of a Carolina beach house. The next year, Macy returned to discover a drawing by an unidentified little boy on the facing page. Over the next eleven years the children continue to exchange drawings … until tragedy ends visits to the beach house altogether. During her final trip to Sunset, Macy asks her anonymous friend to draw her one last picture and tells him where to hide the guest book in hopes that one day she will return to find it—and him. Twenty-five years after that first picture, Macy is back at Sunset Beach—this time toting a broken family and a hurting heart. One night, alone by the ocean, Macy asks God to help her find the boy she never forgot, the one whose beautiful pictures touched something deep inside of her. Will she ever find him? And if she does, will the guestbook unite them or merely be the relic of a lost childhood?

"When do we go?"

MrsK's Review:
Macy first noticed her father's missing photos. Since her father's death, her mother has always kept mementos that evoked emotions that Macy did not want to experience. Today would have been his birthday and for years they had celebrated. This year her mother has decided to go back to the beach, her father's favorite vacation spot. Macy is so ready to move beyond her father's ghost. What is her mother thinking? Two weeks at Sunset Beach? Immediately, Macy's mind returned to the guest book. Maybe this might be the first step. She knew her five year old daughter would enjoy this time away from the every day emotions of separation from her dad.

With special pastel pencils, Macy had first entered her drawing of the butterfly shell. So long ago, she had begun a secret exchange about her adventures at the beach with another "mystery" guest. Since her father's death, Macy had not returned to the Time in a Bottle guest house. Would she finally discover the name of her correspondent? Did her last message lead to one final entry? Would the guest book still be where she left it? Daydreams have a chance of becoming a reality, even after years have gone by.

The boy who had drawn a "shared history," who was he? With a walk on the beach, Macy discovers that after all of these years there might be someone thinking of her. The boy had left his picture in the guest book. Was God speaking to her? Could there really be a new season that had been planted so long ago?

Wyatt is just helping his dad fix up the house next door to the guest house. His father, Buzz, is so much nicer than his son. Macy is sure that her mom must remember Buzz, although her mom was preoccupied with making brownies. Sometimes conversations don't turn out like one hopes. Could Wyatt be the artist she was searching for. Oh, how she hoped not. He had grown into a man that could use some manners.

Pastor Nate believes in "living with purpose." Not only is he kind, he is caring and quite insightful. How did he know she had artistic talents? When Buzz calls him to come help Max, Macy's brother, new doors open. How is Pastor Nate going to help Buzz? What is his story?

Dockery is a local artist who is helping out at the community center where Macy's daughter, Emma, was taking a summer class while they were at the beach. Now her daughter has decided that all three of them needed to spend some time flying her kite. Of course, helping at the children's center wasn't his real job. He helped his mom run the family's cleaning business which offers time to volunteer. He seemed genuinely grateful for Macy's help in painting an art mural as the center's art project.

Funny how when a change in direction becomes full of possibilities,
Have a delightful beach retreat...
MrsK

"Hope does not disappoint."

A Booked to Dine book choice!

Meet the Author:

Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is the author of When We Were Worthy, The Things We Wish Were True and five previous novels. She speaks to women's groups around the US. She is the co-founder of the popular women's fiction site, She Reads www.shereads.org. Marybeth and her husband Curt have been married for 26 years and are the parents of six children. The family lives in North Carolina. Marybeth spends most of her time in the grocery store but occasionally escapes long enough to scribble some words. She is always at work on her next novel.

Click here to visit her site

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MrsK's Reading Bio

Reading is important! No questions asked, not even a blink of the eye from any student I grew up with. On the first day of the First grade, we were given our first books. Day two we all read aloud, round robin of course. Day three we were place in our first basal, now known as a lit circle group. Books were so important, publishers designed new curriculum so that every student was reading by the end of the first week. These early readers had images that looked like what we could see in the classroom, beyond the classroom, even on the big screen. Reading is important, throughout history every generation has believed that “Reading” opens up the world for endless possibilities.

I adore the 1950’s Dick and Jane books. Actually, most reading specialists and experienced (45+) educators believe that every student learned to read with Dick and Jane. Since these books are being re-issued, I have heard many parents, grandparents, and students claim that Dick and Jane stories of repetition does teach students to read.

Early influences from my mother influenced my desire to read. I would watch her read and we would go on “secret” excursions to the library. The library became my playground. I owned every book I could carry home, of course they needed to be taken back to their home after visiting with me for a week or two. My first book that I could pull off of the library shelf and read was, Father Bear Comes Home. I only saw my dad on Sundays for a few hours. I would pull this beginning reader off of the library shelf every week. Every week I would try to read the first chapter. Every week I got further in the story. My mom would let me check it out, only if I could read it myself (She didn’t like the illustrations therefore she didn’t want to take time to read it to me). One day, I pulled the book from the shelf and when mom came to get me from the children’s corner, I realized that I had read the whole story. I ran to the check out desk and the Librarian KERCHUNKED the checkout card. My mother, brother and neighbors read. My teachers read. We all read aloud all day long in school. The Priest read aloud every day at mass, even in Latin. Everybody in the Doctor’s office read. People on the bus read. Dad’s waiting in their cars as the Mom’s and children grocery shopped, read. In fact, once you could read and write, Sunset Magazine considered you a reader and sent you mail every day.

Reading is important; I’ve spent my life reading. I’ve traveled around the world and into space through books. My favorite genre is whichever book I have open at the time. Children’s Literature is my passion. Book clubbing is one of the best past times, especially if food is involved. In fact my friends of old are in a book club and we are about to embark on a beach trip to “read” and discuss our newest selection.

My “home-run” book story has helped every student find his or her own “home-run” reads. Every year, I have shared my, Father Bear Comes Home, and every year my students have brought in their “home-run” books. That’s the “diving board” into our Lit. Studies.

In “Growing Up Digital,” Tapscott’s insights into the new generations enthusiasm for the Net reminded me of my generation’s enthusiasm for reading, movies, TV, parties and our driving permits. The Net-Generation, as Tapscott describes, “are learning, playing, communicating, working, creating communities, and enforcing a social transformation.”
N-Geners are interactive “techies” who are always looking for a way to “work it” verses the TV Generation of “Baby Boomers” who started out looking for “how it works.” Reading development is tougher today, society moves too fast to invest their “non-working” free time into a book or even “home work.” Since I stepped into my own classroom, I have seen students being told to read, being forced to read, and threatened into reading. Homework is not any longer the vehicle for students to gain their future lifestyles or careers with. Yet, the Internet does create an enthusiasm for learning. Since I have been enrolled in these courses, I have used the computers in every subject. My students are using the newest technology in the classroom because I am giving them investigative sites to use as they learn from each other and books. I agree with Tapscott, in order to bridge the gap with this up and coming generation we must “live and learn with them.”

FTC Required Disclaimer: I receive these books from the publishers. I did not receive monetary compensation for these reviews. These reviews have been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)