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Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Jun 2001, 384 pages
Paperback:
May 2002, 512 pages
Deftly illuminating the everlasting bonds among mothers, daughters, fathers, and sons, Luanne Rice celebrates life's simple pleasures and the joy of meeting the one person you are destined to love forever.
New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice has inspired the devotion of readers everywhere with her moving novels of love and family. She has been hailed by critics for her unique gifts -- a "rare combination of realism and romance," according to The New York Times Book Review. Summer Light is Luanne Rice at her most magical, an entrancing story of love at first sight, the true meaning of family, and angels right here on earth.
May Taylor works as a wedding planner with her best friend and great-aunt, passing on the timeless traditions established by her grandmother and mother. The Taylor women have always believed in the presence of magic in everyday life -- especially the simple magic of true love and family.
Yet May's own faith in true love was destroyed years ago when she was abandoned by the father of her child. Still, she has found joy in raising her daughter Kylie -- a special five-year-old who sees and hears things that others cannot. Her unique visions will lead May to a love she never expected and a life she never imagined.
Martin Cartier is a professional hockey player and sports legend. But celebrity has never been enough for Martin. His father, Serge, a hockey champion, taught him to play the game ... and to win at all costs. Now his handsome, polished exterior barely hides a core of rage, heartache and isolation.
It is Kylie who first glimpses the role Martin will play in May's life and her own. May and Martin feel an immediate attraction, but each fears being hurt again. Yet the intensity of their connection leads them to begin to believe in a shared future.
But just as happiness as a family seems within reach, Martin's past threatens to tear them all apart. Only Kylie sees the way home -- and only May can lead them there, if she can somehow finally believe that miracles can come true....
Deftly illuminating the everlasting bonds among mothers, daughters, fathers, and sons, Luanne Rice celebrates life's simple pleasures and the joy of meeting the one person you are destined to love forever. Summer Light is a moving tribute to the enduring power of love and an exhilarating testament to the magic always at work in the world for those with the courage to see it.
Excerpt
Summer Light
The plane was crowded. As the passengers boarded, the flight attendant announced that every seat would be required, that people should stow all their belongings in the overhead bins or under the seats in front of them. May Taylor made sure her and Kylie's bags were out of the way, that Kylie knew she had to stay in her place and not bother the businessman in the aisle seat.
Takeoff was smooth, and the plane climbed through thin gray clouds into the brilliant blue. Until this year, May hadn't flown much -- she had never had much reason. But Kylie's doctor in Boston had recommended that Kylie take part in a study at Twigg University in Toronto, with a group of psychologists focusing on clairvoyance and personality disorders.
May and Kylie lived with May's great-aunt in an old farmhouse on the Connecticut shoreline. May loved her daughter more than anything, but as she looked around the plane, she couldn't help noticing all the couples. The white-haired couple...
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