Review: The Promise Between Us by Barbara Claypole White

“This is an eye-opening and realistic exploration of mental illness—a topic that greatly deserves to be front and center.” —Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things

Metal artist Katie Mack is living a lie. Nine years ago she ran away from her family in Raleigh, North Carolina, consumed by the irrational fear that she would harm Maisie, her newborn daughter. Over time she’s come to grips with the mental illness that nearly destroyed her, and now funnels her pain into her art. Despite longing for Maisie, Katie honors an agreement with the husband she left behind—to change her name and never return.

But when she and Maisie accidentally reunite, Katie can’t ignore the familiarity of her child’s compulsive behavior. Worse, Maisie worries obsessively about bad things happening to her pregnant stepmom. Katie has the power to help, but can she reconnect with the family she abandoned?

To protect Maisie, Katie must face the fears that drove her from home, accept the possibility of love, and risk exposing her heart-wrenching secret.

 Paperback, 384 pages

 Published January 16th 2018 

by Lake Union Publishing

****

I was first introduced to Barbara Claypole White with her book Echoes of Family (click on to see my review) and was blown away with it, it's one of those books that has stayed with me long after I turned the last page.  It was the first book I've read dealing with mental illness and opened my eyes, giving me a new appreciation for those that suffer from it but also their loved ones. The Promise Between Us takes on OCD, a subject that I am relatively unfamiliar with.

Told from various points of view (I didn’t find it confusing or overwhelming) I was able to get inside the minds of Katie and Maisie, to get a full understand of what OCD entails and their emotional state.  Each of their stories is well written and unique, meshing together into a compelling story with flawed characters centring around this young girl. Though in truth they need to help themselves as well.

The Promise Between Us is a story of love, reconciliation and hope. There is healing and  forgiveness, pulling at the heart strings. 

What I appreciate most is that the author has first hand experience here, giving this book that extra authentic feel.  Definitely an author I recommend.

  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Chapters

Bestselling author Barbara Claypole White creates hopeful family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness.

Originally from England, she writes and gardens in the forests of North Carolina where she lives with her beloved OCD family.

Her novels include The Unfinished Garden, The In-Between Hour, The Perfect Son, andEchoes of Family.

The Promise Between Us, a story of redemption, sacrifice, and OCD, has a publication date of January 16th, 2018. She is also an OCD Advocate for the A2A Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes advocacy over adversity.

To connect with Barbara, please visit www.barbaraclaypolewhite.com, or follow her on Facebook. She’s always on Facebook.

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Coming Soon: The Promise Between Us by Barbara Claypole White

As 2017 is closer to 2018, in the coming weeks I will share books I am looking forward to in 2018.

From the bestselling author of The Perfect Son comes a hopeful tale of redemption, renewal, and the promise of love.

 Metal artist Katie Mack is living a lie. Nine years ago she ran away from her family in Raleigh, North Carolina, consumed by the irrational fear that she would harm Maisie, her newborn daughter. Over time she’s come to grips with the mental illness that nearly destroyed her, and now funnels her pain into her art. Despite longing for Maisie, Katie honors an agreement with the husband she left behind—to change her name and never return.

 But when she and Maisie accidentally reunite, Katie can’t ignore the familiarity of her child’s compulsive behavior. Worse, Maisie worries obsessively about bad things happening to her pregnant stepmom. Katie has the power to help, but can she reconnect with the family she abandoned?

 To protect Maisie, Katie must face the fears that drove her from home, accept the possibility of love, and risk exposing her heart-wrenching secret. 

350 pages Paperback

 Expected publication: January 16th 2018 

by Lake Union Publishing

Review/Giveaway: Echoes of Family by Barbara Claypole White

 Sometimes the only way through darkness is to return to where it began. 

Marianne Stokes fled England at seventeen, spiraling into the manic depression that would become her shadow. She left behind secrets, memories, and tragedy: one teen dead, and her first love, Gabriel, badly injured. Three decades later she’s finally found peace in the North Carolina recording studio she runs with her husband, Darius, and her almost-daughter, Jade…until another fatality propels her back across the ocean to confront the long-buried past.

In her picturesque childhood village, the first person she meets is the last person she wants to see again: Gabriel. Now the village vicar, he takes her in without question, and ripples of what if reverberate through both their hearts. As Marianne’s mind unravels, Jade and Darius track her down. Tempers clash when everyone tries to help, but only by finding the courage to face her illness can Marianne heal herself and her offbeat family.

Paperback: 412 pages 

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (September 27, 2016)

*****
I am not sure if this review can accurately describe my feeling about this book.  While it has been many months since I agreed to be part of this blog tour and to be honest I didn't refresh my memory by reading the synopsis so basically I cracked open Echoes of Family blind.  All I can say is WOW, I just found another 'best of 2016'.

I love the first line in the synopsis above 'sometimes the only way through darkness is to return to where it began', which is exactly what Marianne had to do.  There are so many layers to this story, as Marianne returns to England it affects those not just from her past but present as well.  This intricate story played out so smoothly, I got to know the characters quite well, getting inside their minds as each dealt with the situation.  It was truly an authentic portrayal of bipolar and its effect not just for the individual but their loved ones as well.

It's not a book that I read when I could grab 5 minutes here and there but rather one to sit and savor,  I finished in a matter of days.  The author wrote with such compassion and sensitivity (plus a touch of humor) and just watching the story unfold with its twists and turns made it a pleasure to read.  It's one of those books that will stay with me for a long time.

"...you're never truly lost if someone cares enough to come find you.
  Lost is waiting to be found."

Thank you to TLC tours and Lake Union Publishing (via netgalley) for an arc (in exchange for honest review)

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“Claypole White’s gift is her ability to put us into the troubled minds of her characters in a way that helps us not only understand them but fall in love with them as well. We discover that while their minds may be different from ours, their hearts are the same.” —Diane Chamberlain, USA Todaybestselling author of Pretending to Dance

 “Echoes of Family is a masterfully written novel that is both difficult to put down, and difficult to forget after the final page. In this powerful novel, Claypole White weaves that narrative that draws the reader into a personal relationship with the characters and has you rooting for them, in spite of their many flaws. This book kept my attention until all secrets were revealed in its dramatic conclusion. I look forward to many more from Claypole White.” —Sally Hepworth, bestselling author of The Things We Keep

 “Barbara Claypole White has done it again—created a quirky cast of characters and then taken us along as they go on a journey through madness and out the other side. Music, England, love, loss, and nature all collide in this beautiful exploration of how the echoes of our past can sometimes drown out the present. Matthew Quick fans will feel right at home.” —Catherine McKenzie, bestselling author of Spin and Hidden

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A Brit living in North Carolina, Barbara Claypole White writes hopeful family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness. Her debut novel, The Unfinished Garden, won the 2013 Golden Quill Contest for Best First Book, and The In-Between Hour was chosen by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance as a Winter 2014 Okra Pick. Her third novel, The Perfect Son, was a semifinalist in the 2015 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction. 

Connect with Barbara 

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Echoes of Family