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The Sandpiper
The Sandpiper
Alternate cover edition for 9780989287494
One family's story of pain, secrets, and love.
The Sandpiper is about three Cameron women. Kate the perfect older sister. Jamie the screw-up. Their widowed mother Ellie. It's about Nina Judd, their guardian angel, the novel's heartbeat.
Kate had the chance to know their father Dr. James. Jamie was born too late. Sisters by birth. Sisters in loyalty sanctified by a blood oath. Two bright, pretty women full of promise. Then something happens the summer Jamie turns 18 that ruins everything.
And maybe Kate is not so perfect after all. Jamie not so hopeless. Embraced by The Sandpiper, Nina's white-shingled cottage above the endless blue of Lake Michigan, the sisters struggle toward forgiveness, toward healing.
One family's story of pain, secrets, and love.
The Sandpiper is about three Cameron women. Kate the perfect older sister. Jamie the screw-up. Their widowed mother Ellie. It's about Nina Judd, their guardian angel, the novel's heartbeat.
Kate had the chance to know their father Dr. James. Jamie was born too late. Sisters by birth. Sisters in loyalty sanctified by a blood oath. Two bright, pretty women full of promise. Then something happens the summer Jamie turns 18 that ruins everything.
And maybe Kate is not so perfect after all. Jamie not so hopeless. Embraced by The Sandpiper, Nina's white-shingled cottage above the endless blue of Lake Michigan, the sisters struggle toward forgiveness, toward healing.
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2013
5 people are currently reading
481 people want to read
About the author
Susan Lovell
9 books98 followersSusan Brace Lovell earned undergraduate and graduate degrees with honors in English from the University of Michigan and taught high school and college English. She co-founded Cadence, a weekly newspaper in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is the author of four non-fiction histories. Lovell is a longtime member of the Salvation Army and sits on the Grand Rapids Salvation Army Advisory Board. She and her husband live in Grand Rapids.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
August 6, 2013
This book is about the beach, the "big lake", what makes a family, addiction, hope, and so much more. Susan Lovell is an excellent writer. She is skilled in her descriptions, with sentences like, "The damp air like an exotic mist caressed her face." Anyone can write a story but not just anyone can bring you into a story and make you live and breath the characters, cheer for them, want them to succeed. Lovell does just that. Each character in this novel is a hero in her own right, each suffering from some sort of hurt or loss. But hope keeps them going and they learn to rely on each other in all all their imperfection and brokenness. To top it all off there's a little mystery in there for good measure!
August 8, 2015
An alcoholic, a perfectionist, a single mother, and an aunt all feature prominently in this read. Two sisters deal with issues stemming from their past which intrude into their present, and getting over them takes the love of each other, their mother, and their aunt.
This is women's literature that makes the reader smile, weep, and root for the characters of Jamie, Kate, Ellie, and Nina. Choices and events plague them all, but together they can do just about anything.
This is women's literature that makes the reader smile, weep, and root for the characters of Jamie, Kate, Ellie, and Nina. Choices and events plague them all, but together they can do just about anything.
August 3, 2013
Couldn't put this book down! The end came tooo soon for me. Susan has a gift to draw in the reader and get you engaged in the lives of the characters. I pray there is a sequel so we can stay involved in the intimate circle of this family and their challenging lives on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan.
July 15, 2017
The Sandpiper is for mature readers. Some profanity is involved, and a few incidents of violence occur, although not described in depth. This did not change my high opinion of this book. I would classify this novel as Edgy Christian fiction as there are Christian components throughout.
Susan Lovell is a "new-to-me" author. What originally compelled me to purchase The Sandpiper is the fact that the story is based in West Michigan, my home. I will not miss any of Susan Lovell's future books! Her writing style is deeply authentic and steeped in reality. I related to the characters as if I had known them personally, and could easily perceive their experiences. The locale is described as only a resident or frequent visitor to the area would know it, and is an important force throughout the tapestry of these deeply interwoven lives.
The women portrayed in The Sandpiper are complex and credible. Personal experiences tear them apart, but the strength of their bonds empowers them to overcome even significant obstacles, reuniting them through love and acceptance. The relationships between women represented are powerful and heartwarming. Harsh realities are described with dignity and compassion. I highly recommend this book for its honesty, difficult topics broached and the strength of this author's creativity! This book will remain in my library, and will undoubtedly be read again.
Susan Lovell is a "new-to-me" author. What originally compelled me to purchase The Sandpiper is the fact that the story is based in West Michigan, my home. I will not miss any of Susan Lovell's future books! Her writing style is deeply authentic and steeped in reality. I related to the characters as if I had known them personally, and could easily perceive their experiences. The locale is described as only a resident or frequent visitor to the area would know it, and is an important force throughout the tapestry of these deeply interwoven lives.
The women portrayed in The Sandpiper are complex and credible. Personal experiences tear them apart, but the strength of their bonds empowers them to overcome even significant obstacles, reuniting them through love and acceptance. The relationships between women represented are powerful and heartwarming. Harsh realities are described with dignity and compassion. I highly recommend this book for its honesty, difficult topics broached and the strength of this author's creativity! This book will remain in my library, and will undoubtedly be read again.
November 26, 2018
I struggled through this book and would have quit it, but it was a Bookclub pick. The book had too many typos and needed better editing. There were too many redundant lines and terms. The print in the book edition was so tiny it was hard to enjoy reading it.
July 6, 2016
I did find some distressing proof reading errors where the wrong sister was referenced. And I thought it took an unnecessary religious turn towards the end.
August 14, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I fell in love with the characters and especially Aunt Nina. I had won the sequel and Susan suggested reading the first. I'm so glad I did. I loved the whole storyline, being at the beach and cottage. It brought me back to my childhood spending every summer at the beach. I highly recommend this feel-good book! I cannot wait to start "Beyond A Rainbow" today!!!
February 27, 2018
I received this book for free from GoodReads Giveaways. The story of a mom, her daughters and the lovely woman they are friends with. Each woman has their own demons to deal with and their friend helps them all find peace before she dies. A great book.
March 1, 2018
I really liked this book. It was well-written and engaging. It also seemed really insightful regarding the disease of alcoholism.
May 27, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I won the sequel, Behold A Rainbow, and the author suggested I read this first. I'm so glad I did! I really enjoyed getting to know the characters, especially Aunt Nina. I definitely recommend!
June 7, 2014
What a great read. I couldn't put the obok down, drawn into the lives of the characters that Susan Lovell so very carefully crafted. She has a lot of old poetry quoted in the book and I loved it. The characters are all entwined around a small cottage on the edge of Lake Michigan, the cottage is called "The Sandpiper."
One of the women in the book has a long and involved struggle with acoholism which affects everyone around her. She's a fighter for sure. I've grown up with acoholism in my family, and it really does hang a pall over the entire family when it crops up and is active. The rest of the tiime the family walks around on egg shells. I liked th book, didn't put it down until I was finished. The ending wrapped everything up and it was good although the ending felt a little rushed to wrap things up to me. I didn't mind it just seemed to speed up and finish at a pace the author didn't use while writing the rest of the book. I think this would be a perfect book for any ladies book club, there are a lot of issues included in the book to sink a persons teeth into for a lively discussion. i don't belong to a club so am not sharign with that type of books but have told the author I always review the books I win and then I send them to my Mom who volunteers at the Linden Library which is very small and has a very small budget when it comes to buying books. New authors seem to always love to support a small library and they get their books read that way. I hope the people at the library enjoy the book as much as I did.
Here is the outline as written here on Good Reads::
The Sandpiper is about the three Cameron women. Kate the perfect older sister. Jamie the screw-up. Their widowed mother Ellie. It’s about Nina Judd, their guardian angel, the novel’s heartbeat.
Kate had the chance to know their father Dr. James. But Jamie was born too late. Sisters by birth. Sisters in loyalty sanctified by a blood oath. Two bright, pretty women full of promise. Then something happens the summer Jamie turns 18 that ruins everything.
And maybe Kate’s not so perfect after all, Jamie not so hopeless. Embraced by The Sandpiper, Nina’s white-shingled cottage above the endless blue of Lake Michigan, the sisters struggle toward forgiveness, toward healing.
That love is all there is Is all we know of love.
-Emily Dickinson(less)
One of the women in the book has a long and involved struggle with acoholism which affects everyone around her. She's a fighter for sure. I've grown up with acoholism in my family, and it really does hang a pall over the entire family when it crops up and is active. The rest of the tiime the family walks around on egg shells. I liked th book, didn't put it down until I was finished. The ending wrapped everything up and it was good although the ending felt a little rushed to wrap things up to me. I didn't mind it just seemed to speed up and finish at a pace the author didn't use while writing the rest of the book. I think this would be a perfect book for any ladies book club, there are a lot of issues included in the book to sink a persons teeth into for a lively discussion. i don't belong to a club so am not sharign with that type of books but have told the author I always review the books I win and then I send them to my Mom who volunteers at the Linden Library which is very small and has a very small budget when it comes to buying books. New authors seem to always love to support a small library and they get their books read that way. I hope the people at the library enjoy the book as much as I did.
Here is the outline as written here on Good Reads::
The Sandpiper is about the three Cameron women. Kate the perfect older sister. Jamie the screw-up. Their widowed mother Ellie. It’s about Nina Judd, their guardian angel, the novel’s heartbeat.
Kate had the chance to know their father Dr. James. But Jamie was born too late. Sisters by birth. Sisters in loyalty sanctified by a blood oath. Two bright, pretty women full of promise. Then something happens the summer Jamie turns 18 that ruins everything.
And maybe Kate’s not so perfect after all, Jamie not so hopeless. Embraced by The Sandpiper, Nina’s white-shingled cottage above the endless blue of Lake Michigan, the sisters struggle toward forgiveness, toward healing.
That love is all there is Is all we know of love.
-Emily Dickinson(less)
January 12, 2014
A slow-paced family drama of friendship, love and forgiveness.
The Sandpiper is a novel about four women whose destiny is knitted together over three decades. Kate seems like the perfect older sister to Jaime, who in turn struggles with her alcoholism. Ellie their widowed mother is the enabler in the relationship, while Aunt Nina, aka Helena Judd, is the long time friend and protector, the glue in their relationships.
The setting is Lake Michigan and this novel begins with a prologue from June of 1968, before the birth of Kate, before Ellie became a widow, when Ellie first meets Nina. The Sandpiper’s chapters go back and forth between Jamie and Kate throughout the whole novel. After the prologue, the year is 1998 and Jamie is checking out of a rehab facility and on her way back home. Kate is battling her own demons in regards to her infertility as well as her feelings toward her sisters addiction. Kate has always played the motherly role to Jamie since their father passed away and now a new secret is tearing them apart. Will they ever get back that bond they had as children?
This story is very slowly paced, which left me with the feeling the characters are leading a stress free life. How could they possible have all these issues!? I tend to like books with a quicker pace, so at times I really had to struggle staying focused while reading this story. I also felt the short chapters (thank goodness) really helped push me along. Personally I don’t feel this in any way takes away from this authors plot or writing style. I know this is my own issue and the reason I am late on posting this book review.
If you are looking for a nice slow read in the Woman’s fiction category, I would recommend The Sandpiper. This book draws you along a path of real life situations, where the reader experiences cancer, addiction, death, secrets and most importantly forgiveness.
The Sandpiper is a novel about four women whose destiny is knitted together over three decades. Kate seems like the perfect older sister to Jaime, who in turn struggles with her alcoholism. Ellie their widowed mother is the enabler in the relationship, while Aunt Nina, aka Helena Judd, is the long time friend and protector, the glue in their relationships.
The setting is Lake Michigan and this novel begins with a prologue from June of 1968, before the birth of Kate, before Ellie became a widow, when Ellie first meets Nina. The Sandpiper’s chapters go back and forth between Jamie and Kate throughout the whole novel. After the prologue, the year is 1998 and Jamie is checking out of a rehab facility and on her way back home. Kate is battling her own demons in regards to her infertility as well as her feelings toward her sisters addiction. Kate has always played the motherly role to Jamie since their father passed away and now a new secret is tearing them apart. Will they ever get back that bond they had as children?
This story is very slowly paced, which left me with the feeling the characters are leading a stress free life. How could they possible have all these issues!? I tend to like books with a quicker pace, so at times I really had to struggle staying focused while reading this story. I also felt the short chapters (thank goodness) really helped push me along. Personally I don’t feel this in any way takes away from this authors plot or writing style. I know this is my own issue and the reason I am late on posting this book review.
If you are looking for a nice slow read in the Woman’s fiction category, I would recommend The Sandpiper. This book draws you along a path of real life situations, where the reader experiences cancer, addiction, death, secrets and most importantly forgiveness.
January 4, 2014
A slow-paced family drama of friendship, love and forgiveness.
The Sandpiper is a novel about four women whose destiny is knitted together over three decades. Kate seems like the perfect older sister to Jaime, who in turn struggles with her alcoholism. Ellie their widowed mother is the enabler in the relationship, while Aunt Nina, aka Helena Judd, is the long time friend and protector, the glue in their relationships.
The setting is Lake Michigan and this novel begins with a prologue from June of 1968, before the birth of Kate, before Ellie became a widow, when Ellie first meets Nina. The Sandpiper’s chapters go back and forth between Jamie and Kate throughout the whole novel. After the prologue, the year is 1998 and Jamie is checking out of a rehab facility and on her way back home. Kate is battling her own demons in regards to her infertility as well as her feelings toward her sisters addiction. Kate has always played the motherly role to Jamie since their father passed away and now a new secret is tearing them apart. Will they ever get back that bond they had as children?
This story is very slowly paced, which left me with the feeling the characters are leading a stress free life. How could they possible have all these issues!? I tend to like books with a quicker pace, so at times I really had to struggle staying focused while reading this story. I also felt the short chapters (thank goodness) really helped push me along. Personally I don’t feel this in any way takes away from this authors plot or writing style. I know this is my own issue and the reason I am late on posting this book review.
If you are looking for a nice slow read in the Woman’s fiction category, I would recommend The Sandpiper. This book draws you along a path of real life situations, where the reader experiences cancer, addiction, death, secrets and most importantly forgiveness.
The Sandpiper is a novel about four women whose destiny is knitted together over three decades. Kate seems like the perfect older sister to Jaime, who in turn struggles with her alcoholism. Ellie their widowed mother is the enabler in the relationship, while Aunt Nina, aka Helena Judd, is the long time friend and protector, the glue in their relationships.
The setting is Lake Michigan and this novel begins with a prologue from June of 1968, before the birth of Kate, before Ellie became a widow, when Ellie first meets Nina. The Sandpiper’s chapters go back and forth between Jamie and Kate throughout the whole novel. After the prologue, the year is 1998 and Jamie is checking out of a rehab facility and on her way back home. Kate is battling her own demons in regards to her infertility as well as her feelings toward her sisters addiction. Kate has always played the motherly role to Jamie since their father passed away and now a new secret is tearing them apart. Will they ever get back that bond they had as children?
This story is very slowly paced, which left me with the feeling the characters are leading a stress free life. How could they possible have all these issues!? I tend to like books with a quicker pace, so at times I really had to struggle staying focused while reading this story. I also felt the short chapters (thank goodness) really helped push me along. Personally I don’t feel this in any way takes away from this authors plot or writing style. I know this is my own issue and the reason I am late on posting this book review.
If you are looking for a nice slow read in the Woman’s fiction category, I would recommend The Sandpiper. This book draws you along a path of real life situations, where the reader experiences cancer, addiction, death, secrets and most importantly forgiveness.
December 12, 2013
This is the story of four women. Ellie is a widow from Vietnam with two daughters, Kate and Jamie. Kate was young when her father was killed in war but Jamie was not yet born therefore never knew her dad. At age eighteen, Jamie’s life is changed forever and she starts drinking and doing drugs. Jamie decides to get her life together and move back home, also helping her Aunt Nina in her last days. Kate is now happily married and living a “perfect” life or so Jamie perceives. As the family deals with their lives they realize that each of them are not what the others think. Aunt Nina, not really a blood relative, is the woman that gave these girls a place to live when their rock, their father and husband, was killed in Vietnam. She quickly became the woman that truly held this family together.
I found this book to start with a deliberate slowness that let me really connect and get to know each character. After forming a bond with all the main characters and their stories, the story moves along at a perfect pace keeping me reading and having to know what was going to happen. The details of emotion and thoughts let me feel like I was in The Sandpiper, like a fly on the wall, living my life side by side with Ellie, Kate, Jamie, and Aunt Nina.
The topics in this book are not easy topics. Addiction and fighting sobrierty, infertility and the desperate hope for a child, and the lose in the time of war are topics Susan Brace Lovell covers with carefulness, but honesty that many authors fail to accomplish. The way the different characters cope and react to each turn of events is true to life.
This is a book that anyone looking for an engaging and perfectly written novel will love and be unable to put down. I highly recommend The Sandpiper.
I found this book to start with a deliberate slowness that let me really connect and get to know each character. After forming a bond with all the main characters and their stories, the story moves along at a perfect pace keeping me reading and having to know what was going to happen. The details of emotion and thoughts let me feel like I was in The Sandpiper, like a fly on the wall, living my life side by side with Ellie, Kate, Jamie, and Aunt Nina.
The topics in this book are not easy topics. Addiction and fighting sobrierty, infertility and the desperate hope for a child, and the lose in the time of war are topics Susan Brace Lovell covers with carefulness, but honesty that many authors fail to accomplish. The way the different characters cope and react to each turn of events is true to life.
This is a book that anyone looking for an engaging and perfectly written novel will love and be unable to put down. I highly recommend The Sandpiper.
December 23, 2013
I won The Sandpiper by Susan Brace Lovell from Goodreads and I feel truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to read this wonderful book. The Sandpiper of the title is a cottage on the shore of Lake Michigan where Helena "Nina" Judd lives - and loves unconditionally. The prologue introduces the reader to Nina, Ellie, and Katie, and then the first chapter, set thirty years later, introduces the final major character, the alcoholic Jamie. These women, a mother, her two daughters, and their adopted aunt, face their own personal struggles that sometimes create tension between them. This is a book about weaknesses and strengths. This is a story about women who succumb to temptations and rise to challenges, who bury pain and reach out for comfort, who misunderstand each other and yet understand each other too well. This is a book about the tie that binds our human hearts.
The story flows easily, alternating, after the prologue, between each of the sisters' point of view, binding together the fabrics of characters lives like the fabrics of Aunt Nina's favorite quilt. Yet, just as the pieces seem to be coming together, the author skillfully tugging at reader's heart and holding out hope, the story takes off again from that point with even more turmoil and heart-wrenching scenes.
This book took me deep into the soul of a recovering addict, helping me to better understand AA's mantra, Let go and Let God. Yet, the story is not just about addiction. It is a story about the threads of love that run through our lives and the things that tangle those threads into knots. Read for yourself to see if any, or all, of these women learn to let go.
The story flows easily, alternating, after the prologue, between each of the sisters' point of view, binding together the fabrics of characters lives like the fabrics of Aunt Nina's favorite quilt. Yet, just as the pieces seem to be coming together, the author skillfully tugging at reader's heart and holding out hope, the story takes off again from that point with even more turmoil and heart-wrenching scenes.
This book took me deep into the soul of a recovering addict, helping me to better understand AA's mantra, Let go and Let God. Yet, the story is not just about addiction. It is a story about the threads of love that run through our lives and the things that tangle those threads into knots. Read for yourself to see if any, or all, of these women learn to let go.
January 15, 2014
The Sandpiper is the name of a home on Lake Michigan, where the lives of four women, Nina who owns the property befriends Ellie when Ellie's husband goes off to a war. She is pregnant with Jamie when her and Kate move in with Nina. Nina is a down to earth woman who becomes the women's adopted 'aunt'. Nina finds out she has cancer and the women all come back to the Sandpiper to help Nina through this devastating time.
Kate has always looked out for Jamie, who never got to meet her father at all, but Jamie's addictions to drugs and alcohol tear them apart. Kate does not trust Jamie and Jamie is dealing with daddy issues, if you will. Kate remembers their father but Jamie of course was not even born yet when he died in the war.
Kate and her husband battle infertility issues, Jamie battles her addiction, Ellie battles her inability to talk about her husband and of course at the center of the story is Nina who faces the biggest battle of all. Together these women make up a dysfunctional family, but in the end things do work out as they do in most families.
I loved how I got totally immersed into the lives of these awesome women and the author wrote with such a depth of feeling as to each of these women were going through. This is not a chic lit novel and it is not all touchy feely, but it shows the emotions and inner turmoil of modern everyday women. This could be your family or mine. I highly recommend this entertaining bittersweet read.
Kate has always looked out for Jamie, who never got to meet her father at all, but Jamie's addictions to drugs and alcohol tear them apart. Kate does not trust Jamie and Jamie is dealing with daddy issues, if you will. Kate remembers their father but Jamie of course was not even born yet when he died in the war.
Kate and her husband battle infertility issues, Jamie battles her addiction, Ellie battles her inability to talk about her husband and of course at the center of the story is Nina who faces the biggest battle of all. Together these women make up a dysfunctional family, but in the end things do work out as they do in most families.
I loved how I got totally immersed into the lives of these awesome women and the author wrote with such a depth of feeling as to each of these women were going through. This is not a chic lit novel and it is not all touchy feely, but it shows the emotions and inner turmoil of modern everyday women. This could be your family or mine. I highly recommend this entertaining bittersweet read.
November 13, 2013
I won this book from a Goodreads first-reads giveaway. I just loved this book and was sad when it ended. I wanted more!
The Sandpiper told the story about 4 women, Ellie Cameron and her 2 daughters, and their "aunt" Nina. "Aunt" Nina is the central part to the story and who the story revolves around, even though it is told through the point-of-view of the 2 daughters, Kate and Jamie. The story opens with how Aunt Nina came into these ladies lives. Ellie Campbell was a young mother of 3 year old Kate when her husband goes off to Vietnam. At the time she is pregnant with Jamie and they stay at a rented cottage, called the Sandpiper on Lake Michigan, owned by Helena Judd, or Nina as she prefers to be called. When Ellie gets the news that her husband was killed, she goes into a dark depression and Nina Judd helps her to raise her 2 daughters. Jamie, the youngest who never got to know her father grows up to be a troubled young woman who has problems with drugs and alcohol. Kate, the oldest, who has it seemingly put together, may not be as perfect as everyone seems to think. As these women come together to help an ailing Aunt Nina, they uncover secrets amongst themselves that they struggle to find forgiveness and healing.
This book touched me in so many ways. I really enjoyed it.
The Sandpiper told the story about 4 women, Ellie Cameron and her 2 daughters, and their "aunt" Nina. "Aunt" Nina is the central part to the story and who the story revolves around, even though it is told through the point-of-view of the 2 daughters, Kate and Jamie. The story opens with how Aunt Nina came into these ladies lives. Ellie Campbell was a young mother of 3 year old Kate when her husband goes off to Vietnam. At the time she is pregnant with Jamie and they stay at a rented cottage, called the Sandpiper on Lake Michigan, owned by Helena Judd, or Nina as she prefers to be called. When Ellie gets the news that her husband was killed, she goes into a dark depression and Nina Judd helps her to raise her 2 daughters. Jamie, the youngest who never got to know her father grows up to be a troubled young woman who has problems with drugs and alcohol. Kate, the oldest, who has it seemingly put together, may not be as perfect as everyone seems to think. As these women come together to help an ailing Aunt Nina, they uncover secrets amongst themselves that they struggle to find forgiveness and healing.
This book touched me in so many ways. I really enjoyed it.
December 12, 2013
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This is a beautiful and enriching story of love, friendship, loss, forgiveness and redemption. Ellie and James Cameron were the perfect couple until the Vietnam War took James and left Ellie the single mother of two young girls. The only friend she had was Nina Judd, the woman whose cabin James had rented for them while he was away. Jamie and Kate Cameron were polar opposites. Kate was three years older than her sister. Not only did she help to raise her, but Kate was the perfect child, while Jamie struggled through life, leaving her older sister to pick up the pieces, cover for her and made everything okay again. The one anchor they have is dying of cancer, and they all reunite at The Sandpiper to be reminded of what is really important.
Susan. Brace Lovell has written a wonderful book. The characters are so realistic and a connection is immediately felt with them. Each scene felt like I was right there on the patio sipping hot chocolate and chatting along with them. I think the most important thing I learned about myself as I read Jamie's plight, is that in order to really move on, I need to forgive myself before I can completely accept others forgiveness. This novel certainly feels more like a family friend, one that I will revisit time and time again.
Susan. Brace Lovell has written a wonderful book. The characters are so realistic and a connection is immediately felt with them. Each scene felt like I was right there on the patio sipping hot chocolate and chatting along with them. I think the most important thing I learned about myself as I read Jamie's plight, is that in order to really move on, I need to forgive myself before I can completely accept others forgiveness. This novel certainly feels more like a family friend, one that I will revisit time and time again.
December 19, 2013
The Sandpiper by Susan Lovell is a truly powerful tale told from the points of view of two sisters, each driven by their own expectations. Emotionally charged and full of intense drama that is truly realistic, the book takes the reader on a journey through darkness and the many shades of grey that follow the deep issues addressed in the book.
The story and characters are superbly developed and researched. Lovell knows clearly what she is addressing on such hot button topics as alcoholism, addiction, infertility, family dysfunction, and the blurred lines created by the misunderstandings caused by all of these. Kate & Jamie have a very common relationship concern as two sisters caught up in a chaotic life, that is only compounded by the multitude of twists and turns that life gives them.
The plot of the story is very plausible given the topics presented, but it is also where the story stumbles slightly. The initial 50 pages of the book were almost too depressing and could have turned off the average
reader. I myself generally stop at 50 pages and say enough is enough if I am not drawn in by then. Some thing encouraged me to read on, and for that I am glad.
The Sandpiper hits on some very personal issues that I have grown up with and it admittedly became more and more emotionally poignant for me as I read the book.
The story and characters are superbly developed and researched. Lovell knows clearly what she is addressing on such hot button topics as alcoholism, addiction, infertility, family dysfunction, and the blurred lines created by the misunderstandings caused by all of these. Kate & Jamie have a very common relationship concern as two sisters caught up in a chaotic life, that is only compounded by the multitude of twists and turns that life gives them.
The plot of the story is very plausible given the topics presented, but it is also where the story stumbles slightly. The initial 50 pages of the book were almost too depressing and could have turned off the average
reader. I myself generally stop at 50 pages and say enough is enough if I am not drawn in by then. Some thing encouraged me to read on, and for that I am glad.
The Sandpiper hits on some very personal issues that I have grown up with and it admittedly became more and more emotionally poignant for me as I read the book.
April 18, 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Susan Brace Lovell
Susan Brace Lovell has written eloquently about a difficult subject. The characters are people we know, friends and family. The love and support that can enrich a family and keep them accountable is not missed in this book. The twists and turns kept me riveted right to the final word.
The subject of infertility, addiction, alcoholism, loneliness, truth, honesty and love are beautifully and realistically intertwined. The setting comes alive for anyone who has spent time calming themselves over the view of Lake Michigan. The descriptive location, the home, the furnishings: no detail is missed. I found this book so engaging I didn't want to put it down and then approaching the final chapters I did not want to leave these women. I am glad I read to the end for the emotional peak was more than I could bear without my own emotions flowing down my cheeks. Thank you Susan for a tale that keeps real the reality of lives in family circles as they are affected by the behaviors of each family member, the good, the bad and the diseased. There is a tender edge to the story of the alcoholic and the minute by minute uncertainty of their lives, and thusly the lives of those who love them.
Susan Brace Lovell
Susan Brace Lovell has written eloquently about a difficult subject. The characters are people we know, friends and family. The love and support that can enrich a family and keep them accountable is not missed in this book. The twists and turns kept me riveted right to the final word.
The subject of infertility, addiction, alcoholism, loneliness, truth, honesty and love are beautifully and realistically intertwined. The setting comes alive for anyone who has spent time calming themselves over the view of Lake Michigan. The descriptive location, the home, the furnishings: no detail is missed. I found this book so engaging I didn't want to put it down and then approaching the final chapters I did not want to leave these women. I am glad I read to the end for the emotional peak was more than I could bear without my own emotions flowing down my cheeks. Thank you Susan for a tale that keeps real the reality of lives in family circles as they are affected by the behaviors of each family member, the good, the bad and the diseased. There is a tender edge to the story of the alcoholic and the minute by minute uncertainty of their lives, and thusly the lives of those who love them.
January 31, 2014
This is a charming and captivating novel of mother-daughter relationships, friendships, and family relationships. Told in the alternating chapters of Ellie, Kate and Jamie, readers will learn of the hardships and triumphs of the Cameron family and their beloved friend, Nina Judd, the angel who guides them through their lives.
A great deal of this novel revolves how the family deals with Jamie's alcoholism and an act of violence that affected Jamie back in her teens. This part of the book is very gritty and realistic, but lends importantly to the drama of the overall story.
I enjoyed the character of Nina the most in this story. The former English teacher drops references to Emily Dickinson and William Shakespeare liberally and has a quote for nearly any situation the Cameron's find themselves in. And they always fit perfectly!
Author Susan Lovell does a wonderful job telling this story and I was impressed that portions of the book sales will go to the Salvation Army's Turning Point rehabilitation center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I think readers will truly enjoy this well-written and poignant novel.
A great deal of this novel revolves how the family deals with Jamie's alcoholism and an act of violence that affected Jamie back in her teens. This part of the book is very gritty and realistic, but lends importantly to the drama of the overall story.
I enjoyed the character of Nina the most in this story. The former English teacher drops references to Emily Dickinson and William Shakespeare liberally and has a quote for nearly any situation the Cameron's find themselves in. And they always fit perfectly!
Author Susan Lovell does a wonderful job telling this story and I was impressed that portions of the book sales will go to the Salvation Army's Turning Point rehabilitation center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I think readers will truly enjoy this well-written and poignant novel.
December 19, 2013
I received this book as a goodreads first reads giveaway. I knew the subject matter would be hard for me, because I lost my father to alcoholism. Seeing a parent struggle and then eventually succumb to addiction is tough and because of that I really wanted Jamie to give the baby up for adoption. I'm still not completely satisfied with the ending, the choice Jamie made and the selfishness that she was still exhibiting even at the end of the novel. Despite my misgivings about the choices that she made, I felt that the novel did a good job of showing the way addiction hurts a family, the way Kate just shut down communication with her sister, the way their mother just pretended it wasn't happening, and the way Jamie kept secret the abuse that she had suffered, all very accurately portrayed. I found myself becoming invested in these characters in spite of myself. Overall, very well-written and very accurate though heart breaking portrayal of addiction and alcoholism and the way it can tear even a close-knit family apart.
December 11, 2013
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
A story of sisters, mother/daughter and friends who must learn to lean on each other for help through both the good and the difficult times. Jamie is the younger sister who has never been able to live up to the perfection that she thinks her sister is. Kate is the older sister that became an adult at a very young age and has a hard time letting go of the caregiver role.
I love books where the characters are the complete central and the setting takes a little bit of a backburner and the story is the heart of it all. These two sisters have had many things to overcome as a family and individually and thankfully this is the story where it starts pretty low and there is hope for a light at the end. There were a few moments where I wanted to knock some sense into the girls to have them see the situation through a different set of eyes, but maybe that is a lesson to be learned, not to think before you try to see it a different way.
A story of sisters, mother/daughter and friends who must learn to lean on each other for help through both the good and the difficult times. Jamie is the younger sister who has never been able to live up to the perfection that she thinks her sister is. Kate is the older sister that became an adult at a very young age and has a hard time letting go of the caregiver role.
I love books where the characters are the complete central and the setting takes a little bit of a backburner and the story is the heart of it all. These two sisters have had many things to overcome as a family and individually and thankfully this is the story where it starts pretty low and there is hope for a light at the end. There were a few moments where I wanted to knock some sense into the girls to have them see the situation through a different set of eyes, but maybe that is a lesson to be learned, not to think before you try to see it a different way.
March 25, 2014
I received a copy of this book through the GoodReads Giveaway program.
Put this novel on your Summer Reading List. This is a first novel from Ms. Lovell, who before this has written several non-fiction works. I hope she's working on her second novel.
If you've read and liked Patricia Gaffney or Nancy Thayer novels, this one is right up your alley. Strong female characters making up a tight knit family, overcoming adversity. Perfect Kate, married to a surgeon, trying desperately to have a baby, and her sister Jamie, a recovering alcoholic/addict. Their father died in the Vietnam War when Kate was a toddler and before Jamie was born. Their mother never remarried. Include an adopted "aunt", a former high school English teacher, now retired and dying of pancreatic cancer. She pulls no punches in voicing her opinions to anyone in the small town in Michigan that they live in.
Wonderful story, and a satisfactory conclusion.
Put this novel on your Summer Reading List. This is a first novel from Ms. Lovell, who before this has written several non-fiction works. I hope she's working on her second novel.
If you've read and liked Patricia Gaffney or Nancy Thayer novels, this one is right up your alley. Strong female characters making up a tight knit family, overcoming adversity. Perfect Kate, married to a surgeon, trying desperately to have a baby, and her sister Jamie, a recovering alcoholic/addict. Their father died in the Vietnam War when Kate was a toddler and before Jamie was born. Their mother never remarried. Include an adopted "aunt", a former high school English teacher, now retired and dying of pancreatic cancer. She pulls no punches in voicing her opinions to anyone in the small town in Michigan that they live in.
Wonderful story, and a satisfactory conclusion.
June 16, 2014
I won a signed copy of the book in a contest. I read a lot of independent authors free on my Kindle but when I had the opportunity to enter a contest for a free book I jumped at the chance and I was not disappointed. There were twists and turns in the story line that were somewhat expected but they were handled with love and compassion. Alcoholism affects not only the alcoholic but everyone they come in contact with. Each of the characters in the book had a back story which was woven skillfully into and around the life of the alcoholic. Family trying to make it better for each other not realizing what the other is really going through is a universal story and Susan Brace Lovell made me a part of that family in The Sandpiper. I felt sadness at some of the choices made. I enjoyed the veiled guidance from Aunt Nina that came to the characters during times of trouble. Life is a struggle. Family makes it bearable.
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October 22, 2018"'The Sandpiper' is a bittersweet novel about four women, Nina Judd, Ellie Cameron and her two daughters, Kate and Jamie, who are facing seemingly insurmountable challenges. Set against the backdrop of The Sandpiper, Nina’s white-shingled cottage above the limitless blue of Lake Michigan, it is beautifully written and full of in-depth descriptions of both the physical and emotional environment in which the characters live. It reveals the realities of addiction, terminal illness, and infertility; and the power of forgiveness, unconditional love, and acceptance. There was something I could relate to in each of the women and the story pulls you in to the point where you’re cheering for them to overcome their trials as if they are actual friends. I had the privilege of meeting Susan, who lives in Grand Rapids, at my neighborhood book discussion group this month.”
—Cathy at KDL’s Gaines Township Branch
—Cathy at KDL’s Gaines Township Branch
March 28, 2015
The Sandpiper is a bittersweet novel about four women, Nina Judd, Ellie Cameron and her two daughters, Kate and Jamie, who are facing seemingly insurmountable challenges. Set against the backdrop of The Sandpiper, Nina’s white-shingled cottage above the limitless blue of Lake Michigan, it is beautifully written and full of in-depth descriptions of both the physical and emotional environment in which the characters live. It reveals the realities of addiction, terminal illness, and infertility; and the power of forgiveness, unconditional love, and acceptance. There was something I could relate to in each of the women and the story pulls you in to the point where you’re cheering for them to overcome their trials as if they are actual friends. I had the privilege of meeting Susan, who lives in Grand Rapids, at my neighborhood book discussion group this month.
December 12, 2013
I received this as a first read from Goodreads, and won the book.
The Sandpiper is an engaging and well-written novel that follows two sisters through the challenges they face in their lives. It is beautifully written and full of thorough descriptions of both the physical and emotional environment in which the characters live. Adicts and infertility, that which plagues so many Americans families. It brings you in to the point where you don't want to put it down and is very informative of the realities of addiction from multiple perspectives. I highly recommend reading it, and hope for more of Susan's work in the future. Again Thank you for gifting me with the book.
The Sandpiper is an engaging and well-written novel that follows two sisters through the challenges they face in their lives. It is beautifully written and full of thorough descriptions of both the physical and emotional environment in which the characters live. Adicts and infertility, that which plagues so many Americans families. It brings you in to the point where you don't want to put it down and is very informative of the realities of addiction from multiple perspectives. I highly recommend reading it, and hope for more of Susan's work in the future. Again Thank you for gifting me with the book.
July 29, 2015
A heart-wrenching tale of two sisters--one the "good" girl, the other the screw-up--and rampant sibling rivalry. The characters are compelling. Each chapter is told from one of the sister's point of view. Two subordinate characters, their mother and an older woman who is like a mother to them, greatly influence the sisters. I would have like to have known more about the mother. The pace is slower than I like but appropriate for women's fiction. The setting (the Lake Michigan shore) is perfect--water washing the sins away. Loved the dog.
The local librarians chose The Sandpiper for our book group. I'm glad they did.
The local librarians chose The Sandpiper for our book group. I'm glad they did.
August 15, 2013
The Sandpiper is a compelling fictional read about a young woman's struggle with addiction & sobriety - & the impact on her family & friends. Not an easy subject to tackle, but this story has an upbeat rhythm of love & hope along with a touch of suspense that keeps you reading. Details of time, place, character & emotion are skillfully woven yielding insight into addiction & the ripple effect it has on relationships while bringing to life a cast of characters who become friends you root for amidst the beauty of small town living on Lake Michigan. Sure hope a sequel is coming!
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