From a Distance

In LeGrow’s (Interiors, 2015) novel, total relaxation—and a sweet love story—is just around the corner for a Canadian woman who takes a vacation in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Thirty-something Kate Taylor needs some time to herself. Her teenage daughters stopped speaking to her after their father died, only two days after Kate served him divorce papers. While her kids spend the summer with their grandparents, Kate rents a cottage on the shores of Stillwater Lake—a charming retreat that LeGrow describes in picture-perfect detail, from its “white stone fireplace” to the “faded yellow daisies” on the wallpaper. At the last minute, Kate finds out that the owner, Nick Mercer, and his 10-year-old son, Max, are staying there as well. Nick’s ex-wife, Amy, canceled her vacation with their son, leaving Nick to care for the boy and his new dog, a Labrador retriever named Skip, at home. Kate’s instant, warm feelings for Max and his dad send visions of a happy, blended family dancing in her head—and make her regret her request for privacy. But she’s unsure whether her grieving daughters will approve, especially as they don’t know the shocking reason for her divorce. Then Max’s heart-melting thoughtfulness reminds her that sometimes good people come into your life when you least expect it. It takes a long time for the conflicts in this novel to come to a head because it relays the dramatic back story mostly in dialogue and because more of the story is told from Kate’s perspective than Nick’s. But as Kate spends time by herself, it leads her to some touching moments of reflection, such as the letdown of preparing an evening meal now that she’s no longer cooking for a family of four. Also, her conversations with Nick are refreshingly candid.

A romantic, uplifting fictional take on rebuilding a life after a loss.