The Definition of Wind

May 9, 2011
The sequel to The Language of Sand finds Abigail Harker back on Chapel Isle, N.C., trying to cope with the tragic deaths of her husband and their young son by hiding away in a lighthouse. But when her landlord asks her to be liaison with fussy summer renters, Abby soon finds herself busy, nicely distracted, and in the middle of a mystery involving sunken treasure and a spate of suspicious fires (something Abby is particularly sensitive to; fire killed her family). Meanwhile, legend holds that rare gold cups made by Paul Revere went down with a ship in a dangerous spot near the lighthouse. As summer progresses, Abby must deal with tourists and rumors alike, and not just about arson and treasure; a charismatic visitor is making himself oddly available to her, and tongues are wagging. As events come to a head, Abby's position as lighthouse keeper puts her in the thick of it, testing the strength of the new bonds she's made. Block's language is loose and playful ("Abigail had a sinking feeling about this sunken ship"), but the treasure plot and its incongruous drama should have been left at the bottom of the sea. Block is at her best when her charming islanders are given room to breath.

February 15, 2011

Abigail Harker moved to Chapel Isle, NC, nine months ago following the death of her husband and young son in a fire in their Boston home. Living in the lighthouse keeper's cottage, Abby, a professional lexicographer, is reticent to open up to her neighbors about what she left behind and what she's discovered right under their noses: a treasure map and the ghost of the former keeper. A handsome summer resident may be just the ticket to help Abby move on, but a sudden outbreak of arson incidents and talk of salvaging the sunken Bishop's Mistress forces her to acknowledge that her level of trust is still well below the waterline. VERDICT This sequel to Block's The Language of Sand includes a mystery, some villainy, and even more outlandish behavior from Abby's landlady and cowed acceptance from Abby. Her actions here seem haphazard and off the mark. Though the first book didn't quite wrap up Abby's life with a bow, it didn't seem to require a sequel. Definition will make readers want to shake Abby more than console her. Those who enjoyed the first book might want to shake the author as well. [Reading group guide; library marketing.]--Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2011
Abigail Harker returns as the heroine of Block's sequel to The Language of Sand (2010). The story picks up where the previous novel left off, with Abigail caretaking at a lighthouse in Chapel Isle, North Carolina. Life falls into a measured routine until summer gets into full swing, flooding the island with tourists, and things begin to go awry. A new love interest pulls Abigail out of mourning for her husband and son, both killed in a fire, while a mysterious shipwreck and sunken treasure cause further commotion. Block's second installment in this entertaining series will make solid beach reading for fans of women's fiction, though it's best to read the two novels in sequence to best appreciate Abigail, Chapel Isle, and all the mysteries that unfold on this tiny island on the Outer Banks. Recommend Block to those who enjoy Anne Rivers Siddons, especially her early novel Outer Banks (1991).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)