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Afta-U
Michael’s smile broadened. “It seems like you’re surprised to see me, Jean. Don’t tell me you thought that they’d leave an eleven-year-old boy locked away forever.” Twenty-nine years after the tragic death of her childhood best friend, Hope, Jean Cartwright Rhodes returns to her hometown with her husband and daughter after she inherits the house her friend’s family once lived in. Now, years later, she finds herself haunted by a dark truth – and by the specter of Hope herself. Every time Jean looks through her kitchen window, she sees two stark reminders of her troubled past; the Afta-U sailboat, ironically named after young Hope, and the old oak tree where her eleven-year-old friend met her death at the hands of another child. Afta-U unfolds as a psychological chess match, a complex web of intrigue, unexpected relationships, lies, and devastating secrets as Jean struggles with the impact of decisions she made long ago on all the lives around her. When Jean confronts and tries to come to grips with Hope’s killer, she finds herself waging a personal battle between madness and redemption.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 24, 2015
236 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer-Lynn Keniston
2 books14 followersRaised in Hanson, Massachusetts, Jennifer-Lynn Keniston earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a concentration in writing and a minor in philosophy, from Plymouth State College in New Hampshire. She received her Master of Arts degree in English from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts.
During her undergraduate years at Plymouth State, she had a number of articles published in the school newspaper, “The Clock.”
Jennifer-Lynn has always been an avid poet, and has had entries published in some of Poetry.com’s book compilations:
Twilight Musings, 2005, “Garden Of Eden”
The Best Poems & Poets of 2005, “Kodak Moments”
The International Who’s Who In Poetry, 2005, “Birthday Morning”
Collected Whispers, 2008, “Point Sebago”
Jennifer-Lynn grew up with an appreciation for sailing and the sea. The title of her first novel, Afta-U, was inspired by the name of her grandfather’s Flying Scot sailboat.
Away from her literary pursuits, Jennifer-Lynn has worked as a project manager for over eleven years, and obtained her PMP certification (Project Manager Professional). Currently, she works as a project manager for a company that provides cloud software products for call centers at small, medium, and enterprise companies.
Jennifer-Lynn also runs her own business, Ansel Resume Resolution Services LLC, writing resumes and cover letter packages, and offering tutoring and professional writing services. On top of all that, she is a certified Spinning Instructor and teaches Spinning classes in her spare time.
She now lives and writes in Concord, New Hampshire, sharing her home with two Maine Coon Cats.
During her undergraduate years at Plymouth State, she had a number of articles published in the school newspaper, “The Clock.”
Jennifer-Lynn has always been an avid poet, and has had entries published in some of Poetry.com’s book compilations:
Twilight Musings, 2005, “Garden Of Eden”
The Best Poems & Poets of 2005, “Kodak Moments”
The International Who’s Who In Poetry, 2005, “Birthday Morning”
Collected Whispers, 2008, “Point Sebago”
Jennifer-Lynn grew up with an appreciation for sailing and the sea. The title of her first novel, Afta-U, was inspired by the name of her grandfather’s Flying Scot sailboat.
Away from her literary pursuits, Jennifer-Lynn has worked as a project manager for over eleven years, and obtained her PMP certification (Project Manager Professional). Currently, she works as a project manager for a company that provides cloud software products for call centers at small, medium, and enterprise companies.
Jennifer-Lynn also runs her own business, Ansel Resume Resolution Services LLC, writing resumes and cover letter packages, and offering tutoring and professional writing services. On top of all that, she is a certified Spinning Instructor and teaches Spinning classes in her spare time.
She now lives and writes in Concord, New Hampshire, sharing her home with two Maine Coon Cats.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 10, 2016
Have you ever looked back at your life.. at some of the decisions you've made along the way ...and wondered what your life would be now if you had made different decisions? Would your life be better or worse? What if those decisions adversely affected lots of people around you?
That is what confronts Jean Rhodes. Its been many years since the catastrophic death of her childhood best friend. She and her husband and daughter move back to her hometown into the very house her friend had lived in.
Looking through her kitchen window she sees the ghostly figure of her friend ... and the tree where she lost her life at the hands of another child. Afta-U is the sailboat named after her friend.
Jean's past is fast gaining on her. She has to confront her past decisions and tackle her friend's killer. What exactly is the truth? Who really killed her friend? Did she lie about what she knows? Was it a decision made by herself in the days after her friend's death the reason he finds herself now waging a personal battle between madness and redemption?
This is a well-written psychological thriller. There are many surprises, twists and turns, that the reader doesn't see coming. It's evident that a lot of thought went into the character building of Jean in the present ...and in the past. The book is dark in some places, yet sprinkled with short Christian messages.
This is the debut novel by this author ... and it's a good one. I look forward to see what she writes in the future.
I chose to read Afta-U and all opinions expressed are unbiased and entirely my own.
That is what confronts Jean Rhodes. Its been many years since the catastrophic death of her childhood best friend. She and her husband and daughter move back to her hometown into the very house her friend had lived in.
Looking through her kitchen window she sees the ghostly figure of her friend ... and the tree where she lost her life at the hands of another child. Afta-U is the sailboat named after her friend.
Jean's past is fast gaining on her. She has to confront her past decisions and tackle her friend's killer. What exactly is the truth? Who really killed her friend? Did she lie about what she knows? Was it a decision made by herself in the days after her friend's death the reason he finds herself now waging a personal battle between madness and redemption?
This is a well-written psychological thriller. There are many surprises, twists and turns, that the reader doesn't see coming. It's evident that a lot of thought went into the character building of Jean in the present ...and in the past. The book is dark in some places, yet sprinkled with short Christian messages.
This is the debut novel by this author ... and it's a good one. I look forward to see what she writes in the future.
I chose to read Afta-U and all opinions expressed are unbiased and entirely my own.
November 29, 2015
‘I decided to give up any sense of fear and embrace your presence, to welcome my time alone with a very old friend.’
New Hampshire author Jennifer-Lynn Keniston, originally from Massachusetts, lights a fire with a slow burn that takes the reader through tale of mystery, suspense, a hefty flavor of New England, and a satisfying infusion of spiritual concerns in this her debut novel. Her background includes a Master of Arts degree in English, from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a concentration in writing and a minor in philosophy, from Plymouth State College in New Hampshire. Her day job is as a project manager for a company providing cloud software products for call centers at small, medium, and enterprise companies, and as of last year she started her own business, Ansel Resume Resolution Services LLC, writing resumes and cover letters. The tenor of this new novel is so rich that it is at least likely as not that Jennifer-Lynn will embrace writing novels full time!
Jennifer-Lynn comments on her thoughts: ‘The title is personal; Afta-U was the name of the Flying Scot sailboat owned by my maternal grandfather. The story details everything that happens after the death, at the age of 11, of a little girl named Hope. Hope’s best friend Jean, who is now almost 40, narrates the story. The Afta-U is both a literal and figurative boat that quietly immortalizes Hope, since Jean is haunted by her past and hasn’t come to terms with it.’ And from that brief thought the successful manner in which Jennifer-Lynn suffuses mystery with spirituality is evident.
The story synopsis pulls us in – ‘Michael’s smile broadened. “It seems like you’re surprised to see me, Jean. Don’t tell me you thought that they’d leave an eleven-year-old boy locked away forever.” Twenty-nine years after the tragic death of her childhood best friend, Hope, Jean Cartwright Rhodes returns to her hometown with her husband and daughter after she inherits the house her friend’s family once lived in. Now, years later, she finds herself haunted by a dark truth – and by the specter of Hope herself. Every time Jean looks through her kitchen window, she sees two stark reminders of her troubled past; the Afta-U sailboat, ironically named after young Hope, and the old oak tree where her eleven-year-old friend met her death at the hands of another child. Afta-U unfolds as a psychological chess match, a complex web of intrigue, unexpected relationships, lies, and devastating secrets as Jean struggles with the impact of decisions she made long ago on all the lives around her. When Jean confronts and tries to come to grips with Hope’s killer, she finds herself waging a personal battle between madness and redemption.’
But what a synopsis cannot capture is the lyrical beauty of Jennifer-Lynn’s writing, mixing poetry with prose in a manner that enhances the atmosphere of this splendid tale. Jennifer-Lynn Keniston has the markings of a significant writer, one unafraid to embrace her spiritual beliefs while relating a story that holds a rich body of detail and refreshing ideas.
New Hampshire author Jennifer-Lynn Keniston, originally from Massachusetts, lights a fire with a slow burn that takes the reader through tale of mystery, suspense, a hefty flavor of New England, and a satisfying infusion of spiritual concerns in this her debut novel. Her background includes a Master of Arts degree in English, from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a concentration in writing and a minor in philosophy, from Plymouth State College in New Hampshire. Her day job is as a project manager for a company providing cloud software products for call centers at small, medium, and enterprise companies, and as of last year she started her own business, Ansel Resume Resolution Services LLC, writing resumes and cover letters. The tenor of this new novel is so rich that it is at least likely as not that Jennifer-Lynn will embrace writing novels full time!
Jennifer-Lynn comments on her thoughts: ‘The title is personal; Afta-U was the name of the Flying Scot sailboat owned by my maternal grandfather. The story details everything that happens after the death, at the age of 11, of a little girl named Hope. Hope’s best friend Jean, who is now almost 40, narrates the story. The Afta-U is both a literal and figurative boat that quietly immortalizes Hope, since Jean is haunted by her past and hasn’t come to terms with it.’ And from that brief thought the successful manner in which Jennifer-Lynn suffuses mystery with spirituality is evident.
The story synopsis pulls us in – ‘Michael’s smile broadened. “It seems like you’re surprised to see me, Jean. Don’t tell me you thought that they’d leave an eleven-year-old boy locked away forever.” Twenty-nine years after the tragic death of her childhood best friend, Hope, Jean Cartwright Rhodes returns to her hometown with her husband and daughter after she inherits the house her friend’s family once lived in. Now, years later, she finds herself haunted by a dark truth – and by the specter of Hope herself. Every time Jean looks through her kitchen window, she sees two stark reminders of her troubled past; the Afta-U sailboat, ironically named after young Hope, and the old oak tree where her eleven-year-old friend met her death at the hands of another child. Afta-U unfolds as a psychological chess match, a complex web of intrigue, unexpected relationships, lies, and devastating secrets as Jean struggles with the impact of decisions she made long ago on all the lives around her. When Jean confronts and tries to come to grips with Hope’s killer, she finds herself waging a personal battle between madness and redemption.’
But what a synopsis cannot capture is the lyrical beauty of Jennifer-Lynn’s writing, mixing poetry with prose in a manner that enhances the atmosphere of this splendid tale. Jennifer-Lynn Keniston has the markings of a significant writer, one unafraid to embrace her spiritual beliefs while relating a story that holds a rich body of detail and refreshing ideas.
November 20, 2016
As a young child Jean loses her best friend Hope during a childish game. A young boy who is also playing takes this tragedy to the next level. Now years later Jean is still living a traumatized life. She sees her friends ghost daily and she also replays her life and this causes her to have trouble moving on from a horrible past. Now as she is older she begins to unlock many secrets about the past of her murdered friend and her friends family. As the story unfolds more secrets and lies unfold. The story is a web of secrets, lies, betrayal, and hope for a better future.
This book was really good. Poor Jean is haunted by the past and this story is a haunting reminder of her past mistakes. It was chilling and sad. It was a crime book, but at the same time this book was very psychological. It was a well thought out and well written book. From the beginning it had me enthralled. The story of Jean, Hope, their families, and the town they grew up in kept me in suspense and kept me reading. This book was very hard to put down.
I will definitely be recommending this book for any reader who loves a good suspenseful, psychological, and haunting read. This is a book that I will remember for a long time to come....Stormi
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This book was really good. Poor Jean is haunted by the past and this story is a haunting reminder of her past mistakes. It was chilling and sad. It was a crime book, but at the same time this book was very psychological. It was a well thought out and well written book. From the beginning it had me enthralled. The story of Jean, Hope, their families, and the town they grew up in kept me in suspense and kept me reading. This book was very hard to put down.
I will definitely be recommending this book for any reader who loves a good suspenseful, psychological, and haunting read. This is a book that I will remember for a long time to come....Stormi
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https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
January 7, 2016
Keniston, Jennifer-Lynn. “Afta-U, Tate Publishing, 2015.
Dealing with Death and Secrets
Amos Lassen
Jean Cartwright Rhodes is a woman struggling to deal with the heartbreaking death of her childhood best friend, Hope. It has already been some twenty-nine years and now Jean is still struggling for her very sanity as she faces a decision she made right after Hope’s death. Decisions are tricky as we never really know what there outcome will be until we face them and there are those decisions that influence everything we do in life. For Jean, her decisions forces her to face how she feels as well as ghosts from her past if she wants to find closure and redemption and she knows that she must put her faith into God who makes the ultimate decisions in the world.
We go back eleven years to the time of the tragedy when Hope was just eleven and her life ended. Jean narrates the story and she does, she realizes just how much it haunts her and her haunted her for almost three decades. With her husband and daughter, Jean goes back to her Massachusetts hometown of Graytown upon inheriting the house that Hope grew up in and is once again taken back to the dark truth she thought she had left behind. Just by looking out of the kitchen window, she relives that awful time of Hope’s death when she sees the sailboat, the “After-U”, that is named for Hope and the old oak tree, the scene of Hope’s death. She is plagued by the questions that are still unanswered these many years—how can she deal with the trauma of her past and her actions surrounding it and what can she do with the secrets and lies that have made her life so difficult?
We learn that Hope died while playing a dangerous childhood game where one of the neighborhood friends, Michael’s murderous actions got the best of him. The plot is filled with memories of that day and Jean feels trapped because of the many secrets she holds. After the death of Hope, her mother committed suicide and Jean discovered the body and a suicide hope that has never been opened. Now and quite suddenly, Michael reappears and his presence weighs heavily on Jean. As if that is not enough, Jean also has visions of Hope wearing her white confirmation dress.
Jean realizes that she is being forced to face the past and she is filled with guilt about what happened that fateful day and the game that ended so tragically. Is she on a path to find forgiveness or is she simply reliving what she remembers happening? She also understands that spiritually there is something missing in her life. When she faces Michael, she understands that she now must really find a way to deal with the past and she faces an internal battle between redemption and losing her mind. This is where the writer has included heavy does of Christian spirituality and this plays a huge role in the story.
Each chapter begins with a poem written by that author and these not only add beauty to the plot but also act as a guide for the reader as more and more truths come forward. The themes of good and evil, fate and free will, living in the past but facing the present are universal but especially significant here. We certainly see how one can be a prisoner of the past. I can say no more without giving something away so you will have to read it yourselves. Before you begin, make sure you clear a block of time because you will not want to close the book until you finished it entirely and then it will stay with you for a long time.
Dealing with Death and Secrets
Amos Lassen
Jean Cartwright Rhodes is a woman struggling to deal with the heartbreaking death of her childhood best friend, Hope. It has already been some twenty-nine years and now Jean is still struggling for her very sanity as she faces a decision she made right after Hope’s death. Decisions are tricky as we never really know what there outcome will be until we face them and there are those decisions that influence everything we do in life. For Jean, her decisions forces her to face how she feels as well as ghosts from her past if she wants to find closure and redemption and she knows that she must put her faith into God who makes the ultimate decisions in the world.
We go back eleven years to the time of the tragedy when Hope was just eleven and her life ended. Jean narrates the story and she does, she realizes just how much it haunts her and her haunted her for almost three decades. With her husband and daughter, Jean goes back to her Massachusetts hometown of Graytown upon inheriting the house that Hope grew up in and is once again taken back to the dark truth she thought she had left behind. Just by looking out of the kitchen window, she relives that awful time of Hope’s death when she sees the sailboat, the “After-U”, that is named for Hope and the old oak tree, the scene of Hope’s death. She is plagued by the questions that are still unanswered these many years—how can she deal with the trauma of her past and her actions surrounding it and what can she do with the secrets and lies that have made her life so difficult?
We learn that Hope died while playing a dangerous childhood game where one of the neighborhood friends, Michael’s murderous actions got the best of him. The plot is filled with memories of that day and Jean feels trapped because of the many secrets she holds. After the death of Hope, her mother committed suicide and Jean discovered the body and a suicide hope that has never been opened. Now and quite suddenly, Michael reappears and his presence weighs heavily on Jean. As if that is not enough, Jean also has visions of Hope wearing her white confirmation dress.
Jean realizes that she is being forced to face the past and she is filled with guilt about what happened that fateful day and the game that ended so tragically. Is she on a path to find forgiveness or is she simply reliving what she remembers happening? She also understands that spiritually there is something missing in her life. When she faces Michael, she understands that she now must really find a way to deal with the past and she faces an internal battle between redemption and losing her mind. This is where the writer has included heavy does of Christian spirituality and this plays a huge role in the story.
Each chapter begins with a poem written by that author and these not only add beauty to the plot but also act as a guide for the reader as more and more truths come forward. The themes of good and evil, fate and free will, living in the past but facing the present are universal but especially significant here. We certainly see how one can be a prisoner of the past. I can say no more without giving something away so you will have to read it yourselves. Before you begin, make sure you clear a block of time because you will not want to close the book until you finished it entirely and then it will stay with you for a long time.
January 6, 2016
Afta-U is a story of a one woman's journey to find emotional and spiritual healing and forgiveness. The author is an amazing storyteller and her talent is apparent as the reader turns each page. Each sentence flows effortlessly and almost poetic in nature.
This story started off slow for me and I had a difficult time getting immersed into the story. It is being marketed as a Crime/Thriller, but I failed to see any connection to these genres. There is a little mixture of paranormal, family drama, and Christian fiction, but the 'crime' was already figured out in the beginning and the thrills just never appeared for this reader. The main character, Jean, is an emotional wreck and at times, I was flat-out exhausted reading about her blaming herself for every bad thing that happened to other people. However, with the author's talent and ability to bring the words together, I found myself needing to finish this dramatic story.
I applaud the author for incorporating her spiritual beliefs within the story without being too preachy. In this day and age, it was a nice surprise to read a book that was clean from profanity and the overuse of sexual scenes. Afta-U is a 'clean' story that I would recommend to any age group.
*I received a copy of this book at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
- See more at: The Avid Book Collector
This story started off slow for me and I had a difficult time getting immersed into the story. It is being marketed as a Crime/Thriller, but I failed to see any connection to these genres. There is a little mixture of paranormal, family drama, and Christian fiction, but the 'crime' was already figured out in the beginning and the thrills just never appeared for this reader. The main character, Jean, is an emotional wreck and at times, I was flat-out exhausted reading about her blaming herself for every bad thing that happened to other people. However, with the author's talent and ability to bring the words together, I found myself needing to finish this dramatic story.
I applaud the author for incorporating her spiritual beliefs within the story without being too preachy. In this day and age, it was a nice surprise to read a book that was clean from profanity and the overuse of sexual scenes. Afta-U is a 'clean' story that I would recommend to any age group.
*I received a copy of this book at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
- See more at: The Avid Book Collector
December 22, 2015
Skilled Writer Crafts Moving Story of a Haunting Childhood
Jennifer-Lynn Keniston is a very good writer but even more important she is an excellent story teller. The author’s first book, “Afta-U,” is a story that catches your attention immediately and just when you think you understand the plot it takes a new twist as new information and new feelings are uncovered.
“Afta-U” is the story of Jean Cartwright Rhodes, on the surface a happy, contented mother of a smart and perky teenager, Meg, and a loving husband that provides for all her needs. Yet, Jean is haunted by incidents of her past when she was just a young girl. In her present life she is haunted almost daily with the ghost appearance of her best early childhood friend, Hope, dressed in a white confirmation dress.
Events happen that force Jean to face the past she is trying to escape, and each time she is ridden with even more guilt about her role in a game played by children that ended up in tragedy. This is a fascinating story with heavy psychological overtones, quests for forgiveness and to forgive, and the expansion of spiritual faith that Jean doesn’t always rely upon.
After a couple chapters I could not put the book down but fortunately did not lose a lot of sleep as “Afta-U” is only 210 pages. So you can, and will want to, read it in one sitting. Keniston’s first novel is a terrific read. I can only hope that she produces a second and third in the near future.
Jennifer-Lynn Keniston is a very good writer but even more important she is an excellent story teller. The author’s first book, “Afta-U,” is a story that catches your attention immediately and just when you think you understand the plot it takes a new twist as new information and new feelings are uncovered.
“Afta-U” is the story of Jean Cartwright Rhodes, on the surface a happy, contented mother of a smart and perky teenager, Meg, and a loving husband that provides for all her needs. Yet, Jean is haunted by incidents of her past when she was just a young girl. In her present life she is haunted almost daily with the ghost appearance of her best early childhood friend, Hope, dressed in a white confirmation dress.
Events happen that force Jean to face the past she is trying to escape, and each time she is ridden with even more guilt about her role in a game played by children that ended up in tragedy. This is a fascinating story with heavy psychological overtones, quests for forgiveness and to forgive, and the expansion of spiritual faith that Jean doesn’t always rely upon.
After a couple chapters I could not put the book down but fortunately did not lose a lot of sleep as “Afta-U” is only 210 pages. So you can, and will want to, read it in one sitting. Keniston’s first novel is a terrific read. I can only hope that she produces a second and third in the near future.
January 5, 2016
I really enjoyed Jennifer's writing style, the poetry, vivid imagery....it was spiritual and moving, but haunting at the same time. Many of us never know the consequence of actions we took as children, how they may come back to haunt us. I look forward to more from a fellow Plymouth State Alymni
December 25, 2016
Great book
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews