Gina Holmes’ Crossing Oceans
May 14, 2010
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Crossing Oceans Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (May 1, 2010)
by Gina Holmes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gina Holmes began her career in 1998, penning articles and short stories. In 2005 she founded the influential literary blog, Novel Journey. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her husband and children in southern Virginia. To learn more about her, visit May 2010’s issue of CFOM at Interview with Gina Holmes or Novel Journey.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Jenny Lucas swore she’d never go home again. But being told you’re dying has a way of changing things. Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank–toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella’s dad . . . who doesn’t yet know he has a daughter. As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything—to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings . . . even overcome the impossible. A stunning debut about love and loss from a talented new voice.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Crossing Oceans, go HERE.
Sally Says: I’ve been looking forward to Gina Holmes’ debut novel Crossing Oceans, and it’s finally out. And it’s just as good as the hype.
This is well-written women’s fiction with authentic and flawed characters. Jenny and her family were real people who struggled and made some big mistakes. But every now and then, they did things right too. There were times when Jenny was faced with some very unappetizing choices, and while her human nature fought for what she wanted, she made some amazingly good choices that I wondered if I would be able to make in her shoes.
Yes, I know this is fiction, and Jenny isn’t real. But you read the book for yourself and tell me you haven’t met these people somewhere, haven’t crossed paths with them somewhere. Holmes did a wonderful job of capturing the best and worst of people in the most difficult of times and putting it on paper in a way that made it hard to stop reading.
A number of reviews I read said to keep Kleenex nearby. Don’t let that scare you off – I only needed a couple. 
Someone else said the book reminded them of Karen Kingsbury, and I think I would agree. Fans of women’s fiction and realistic, authentic situations will love Crossing Oceans.