Compass Rose

by Carly Eccles Sheaffer

Shaun's father, Jerry, had a gift for growing roses. Patient and kind, Jerry Murray could get anything, including the people around him, to bloom.

Shaun, an aspiring writer, decides to pack up and leave behind his loved ones, the town he grew up in, and the only life he had ever known.

But starting over, far away from home and family, brings new challenges-and gifts-and Shaun finds himself living a story vastly different from the one he tried to write for himself. Now, almost eight years later, his world revolves around his daughter, Marie, and Shaun has safely locked away the memories of his past life.

But with one fateful gust of wind, Marie's curiosity, and a trail of roses perhaps sent from beyond the grave, Shaun finds himself face-to-face with the past he tried so hard to leave behind. Will he find the courage to rewrite his story? Or is it too late?

153 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2020

About the author

Carly Eccles Sheaffer lives in Virginia with her husband, three wild but wonderful kids, a rescue dog who thinks it’s a human, and a baby boy in the sky. Carly loves the power of stories—creating them, reading them, remembering them. When she’s not teaching college writing, working on a book, or chasing around her little ones, Carly and her family enjoy DIY house projects, building sandcastles, exploring the mountains, and creating adventures together.

Find out more on her Instagram!

Reviews

[Corinne Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book in my Bound to Brew box a few months ago and just got around to reading it. It’s a cute story, focusing on young love, tragedy, and family connections. It was a short novel, and I think it could have benefitted from either becoming a shorter novella or expounded upon to be a little longer.
The novel overall, felt like a first draft rather than a finished product. The timeline jumped around a bit too much in sporadic spurts, which had me flipping back a few pages to reorient myself in the story. During the novel, our main characters Annie and Shaun have a romance that starts off in what I assume is spring time. Annie graduates college and stays the summer for an internship — but aside for one date, we’re just told they have a romance where they fall in love. We don’t really see the romance blossom and grow. We’re told that they have arguments but we don’t see any until THE argument. Annie is a weak young-adult, bullied by her mother which is the origin of our tragedy. Again, our time with Annie’s mother is short — but this is one character that was executed wonderfully. She’s definitely a controlling force.
Shaun’s “girlfriend” Olivia, I wanted to know more her! She was the most interesting character for me and we got to learn almost nothing about her. Her story was the one I really wanted after I finished reading this book.
It felt like things were a bit too easy and readily placed or explained. I was also curious as to what time period this was taking place in, because there were some odd events that the internet could have resolved or complicated matters.
It’s an overtly sweet story, and not nearly as gritty as it could be for me, but if you’re interested in a young-love reunion, quick and easy read, and happy endings, this is a book for you.

[Ann Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the book itself was short (150 pages, read it in a day), I was enthralled by Carly's story. It kept me reading for hours, as I desperately wanted to put the entire puzzle together. The reader is pulled into a classic love story on one page, then it's ripped away from them as the reader is propelled into a dismal future all the while leaving us wondering - what happened?
A story that brings to light the effect we have on others, how life circumstances can pull us away from our dreams, and how fear can cripple our hearts.

Spoiler Alert: The happy ending only sealed the deal for me on this book.