Safe Within

June 1, 2012
When Elaine's husband, Carson, has only weeks to live, he requests that she take him to spend that time in her childhood home, back in the town where they grew up together. Their son, Mick, joins them, and after Carson passes away, Mick and Elaine are surrounded by family members and friends who remember them and Carson well. Not all the memories are pleasant, though, and Elaine must face Carson's mother after a lifetime of feuding, while Mick must face the family of a girl he once loved and lost. As they confront painful feelings, they make some surprising discoveries and find themselves redefining the meaning of family. Page's newest novel feels unpolished in places, but what it's lacking in depth it makes up for in charm. In this story about renewal, transcendence, and hope after loss, the focus on southern small-town living is touching, while the twists and turns of the plot are intriguing. Fans of Anita Shreve or Page's earlier work (most recently, The Space between Before and After, 2008) will especially appreciate this emotional journey.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)