THE THINGS WE KNEW by CATHERINE WEST

I was so captivated by this story, that I stayed up all night to finish it. The story is about a family that went through a very tragic event and the youngest child,  Lynette , is starting to have dreams about that night. She is grown now and has a lot on her plate. Her dad is showing early signs of Alzheimer and it is taking a toll on Lynette. The story really hit home for me as my mother had Alzheimer. It is not an easy illness to watch as the person starts to regress and loses their memories. The author did an amazing job of describing the debilitating disease and how it affects everyone around them.

Lynette has taken on more than she can handle when their beautiful family home is in dire need of renovations. There is little money coming in and it's time to call her siblings home to help.  I loved the way Nantucket was described and I could feel myself there as the winds blew across the trees. The house made me think of a grand house nestled by the beach with loving memories of a happy family. Each character had so much depth and I really feel in love with Gray. He is a famous singer, but his bad choices have sent him into a journey where he realizes he needs help for his addiction. How will he tell his family that he has been living a lie? Will he finally surrender and get help? The friction between the siblings were very well written and I loved how the author allowed them to each share their hurts and feel compassion for each other.

Nick is the next door neighbor that has loved Lynette since they were younger. He comes home to help his dad out when he discovers his dad is very ill. I loved the conflict between father and son that showed how secrets, lies and unforgiveness can destroy a relationship. The author did an amazing job of letting characters experience grace and learn to let go of the past. There is a big secret that will change everyone. Will they be able to become a close knit family again? Can Nick win Lynette's love? I cried at the end of the story because it was such a reminder of grace. Everyone wants grace and when you allow yourself to swallow your pride, it becomes easy to give grace to someone. The story will be one I won't easily forget as it was a beautiful story of a family that was lost, but through grace they were reunited.

I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild for an honest review.