Her Daughter's Eyes

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Summary: Her Daughter's Eyes (Jessica Barksdale Inclan)
Review: This is a brilliantly written novel about a family's struggles. Seventeen year old Kate and her younger sister Tyler 15, tragically lost their Mom to cancer. Their father's inability to deal with his loss, emotionally and physically abandons his daughter's at a time when the girl's need a parent the most. He chooses to spend his time away from the family home, living with his new girlfriend, leaving Kate and Tyler to fend for themselves. Kate is pregnant and no one knows but her younger sister Tyler. These two sisters join together in a maternal bond to ready for the impending birth of the baby. They construct a crib for the baby to be out of cardboard! Together, on the floor of the bedroom, Kate and Tyler deliver her baby daughter by themselves. Such courage, strength and love these two young girls shared. The father's own struggles, the pain he was in and what he was going through prevented him from seeing that something was terribly wrong in his daughter's lives. I felt such compassion for Kate and Tyler's struggles and for the abandonment they felt. The 'I'm unloved' feeling they shared. This was a passionately and brilliantly written story. Jessica Barksdale Inclan gives so much insight and detail into how each of the character's pain makes them the way they are. That even if you can't always forgive them for their actions, you can come to understand them. The shelfishness of adults who put their needs ahead of those of their children, is a reminder to us all that WE ARE the adults and must deal accordingly with our emotions and not fade into the background leaving our children to deal with the harsh realities of life. A touching book that induced many emotions.
I have also read Ms. Inclan's other two novels "The Matter of Grace" and "When You Go Away" and would HIGHLY recommend that you read them as well. This author writes with such clarity, emotion and reality, that you, as the reader, feel a part of the lives of the characters in her stories.

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Summary: Hard to put down...
Review: This was an excellent book. I didn't want to put the book down. I am anxious to read more by this author. There was nothing predictable about this book. Excellent read!!!!