Changing Tides

by Sue A. Fairchild

The tide will come in no matter what you do.
Eventually it’ll swallow you up if you don’t move with it.Gabriel Pechman has finally fulfilled his wife’s greatest dream — he’s quit his finance job and moved to the Outer Banks to live a life of peace and joy in the sun. Too bad his wife never lived to see it happen.
After Ellie’s untimely death at the age of fifty-two, Gabe seeks to fulfill her wishes. Doing so does not erase his grief, however, but sometimes increases his loneliness as he struggles to create a new life without his beloved wife.
The more he tries to fight the overwhelming grief he feels, the more it seems to haunt him. He soon discovers grief has no set end date and no set location — it follows you everywhere you go.
Living in paradise also doesn’t protect Gabe from fresh sorrow. When a new friend suffers a heart attack and Gabe has the urge to run away from his pain, can he overcome the constantly changing tides of grief to be the friend the new widow needs or will he succumb to the waves?

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 13, 2024

About the author

As a Christian editor, I don’t change voices – I make them louder.

As a Christian author, I read everything because I want to know more about pacing, plot, and character development in every genre. It helps me connect as an editor to every author I meet and as an author to my ideal reader.

Favorite genres:
* Historical Fiction
* Contemporary Fiction with strong female leads
* Fantasy Young Adult
* Anything that explores the human condition

Reviews

[Tracy Gerhardt Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grief, love, and regret span the pages of this book by Sue A. Fairchild. Set in the OBX, the protagonist journeys through the loss of his wife after moving to the beach to fulfill her dream of living there. He soon realizes that living in an idyllic setting by the ocean isn’t enough to help him move on. Unlikely friendships and another shocking loss draw him back to his faith and into a future where healing comes in the most unexpected ways.

It’s an exploration of an everyday man who could be any of us navigating the weight of grief and regret. Fairchild writes honest and touching look at life after loss.

[Janet Rife · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Sue A. Fairchild explores themes related to finding hope while fighting through grief in the novel, Changing Tides. Her main character is a recent widower who feels unable to survive without the love of his life. He leaves corporate life in the city to move to the beach to fulfill his deceased wife’s retirement dream but soon realizes that his problems haven’t disappeared. Through new friendships and renewal of his faith he begins to climb his way up from the depths of grief and despair to rediscover purpose and meaning to life and begins to build community by investing in other people. Fairchild’s talent in drawing vivid word pictures and developing complex characters shines through. Readers will eagerly anticipate her next book in this series, titled Changing Seasons.

[Kathy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read few novels with men as main characters and I admit being a little timid about reading them. Now I know I should not have felt any hesitation after reading "Changing Tides" by Sue A. Fairchild. This author handles beautifully the topic of grief and loss from a man's perspective and drew me in regardless. I'm glad a man's perspective is available because I will be able to recommend to both men and women how to enjoy a novel even if the topic is about healing after a spouse's death. I look forward to reading other books by Sue Fairchild.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changing Tides is a story about one man's journey in early grief following the death of his wife. He moves to an island off North Carolina to live by the beach, which had been his wife's dream for retirement. She didn't live long enough to realize her dream, so he tries to live it on her behalf. As a woman, it was especially interesting to me to read about grief from a man's point of view. The author used research, knowledge of people, and her imagination to write a compelling novel. It made me think about the future one half of a married couple has: coping with the loss of their spouse and managing the regrets. Be prepared with tissues nearby. It was not a cry-fest, as there was also humor and warmth depicted. But I did take my time reading this as I processed the feelings that came up as I read. Strongly recommend this book!

[Beth Westcott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a contemporary novel that takes the reader on a journey through grief. The viewpoint character is a man. Gabe’ s heart is closed to life, love, and God after his wife’s death. Each day is a struggle as memories and longing engulf him. I’ve not experienced the loss of a spouse, but I believe Sue had drawn an authentic picture of a man working through the stages of grief. You can’t help but love Gabe’s dog Daisy and his wonderful friends who never give up on him. Like the movement of the ocean tides, Gabe’s life becomes more purposeful. He realizes that other people suffer losses and survive, and he rediscovers his faith. Changing Tides is different from the books I usually read, but it was well worth reading.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Changing Tides" is not a light beach read, but I loved the beach setting and the various ways the main character connected the waves to his experience.

I felt a good connection with Gabe, and the secondary characters were well done, especially Hattie and her way of observing her neighbors. Gabe goes through progress and setbacks in his grief journey, emphasizing that the path is not always straight.

This is a Christian novel, and the faith element is handled well. It's an important part of the story but never feels preachy.

[Rebecca White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story on recovering from and dealing with grief. I loved the way that the characters who hadn't known Gabe prior to the death of his wife saw his grief and tried to help him through it. I enjoyed the fact that the author dealt with real struggles and did not cover up or gloss over the pain and hardship of dealing with the grieving process.

[Maureen Lewicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a but reticent to read this because the protagonist had just lost his wife and was in mourning. But I am glad I did! It is an uplifting story, and the characters are believable. Great story.

[Amy Cadwallader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful story that explores grief after the loss of a spouse. Sue A. Fairchild beautifully lays out the grieving process and how those around us can play a pivotal role in the healing process. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next book when it is released.