PROFOUNDLY MOVING FAMILY DRAMA

Ashley Farley has written Marsh Point Book #3, Songbird’s Second Chance, which is a profoundly moving family drama. This book is a dynamic addition to the series. No one writes about dysfunctional family dynamics better than Ashley Farley! What I like most about this book is there are no dull moments from the first page to the last. Farley based her series on a dysfunctional family terrorized by their abusive alcoholic mother and their father, who would not stand up to her.

Farley introduces readers to the last sibling to grow up at Marsh Point, Savannah. Savannah had a beautiful voice, and everyone thought she would become a professional singer. Thirty years ago, her mother orchestrated for Savannah’s newborn daughter to be taken away right after birth. When Savannah woke up to discover her baby was gone, she ran away and has been gone for thirty long years! She moved as far from Marsh Point as she could go (Washington State), but recently, her circumstances have changed, and she thinks maybe it might be a good time to go home for a visit.

Harper Boone has never felt like she measured up to her mother’s expectations or that they had much in common. Her mother was a brilliant criminal defense attorney, and Harper was a gifted singer with an eye for decorating. She became a paralegal to satisfy her mother, but she never enjoyed it. While going through her mother’s files after her sudden death, Harper found a piece of paper that would prove to be life-changing. She finds a sealed envelope containing a worn scrap of yellow flannel, an address in a small town she’s never heard of, and her adoption papers! She decides to throw caution to the wind and check this family out.

Farley’s plot will have readers on the edge of their seats as they wait to see what happens next in this family drama. At each family gathering, conditions are right for explosive behavior caused by pent-up emotions, memories, and horrors from the past. Inviting family members over without permission can cause unwanted drama, and being in Marsh Point can stir up all kinds of old feelings. There is also the opportunity to discover a new branch of the family. What will happen if they discover Harper is the missing child? Will this cause more drama or healing? What about Harper’s Dad? Who is he? Will he want a relationship with Harper? You will not want to miss this one! ( )

Songbird's Second Chance is a fantastic addition to the Marsh Point series. It's full of family turmoil in a majorly dysfunctional family. The adult children try to mend fences between each other but the outcomes often backfire. Plus there is a new member of the family who shows up back at Marsh Point after a 30 year absence who reminds them of their childhood memories of growing up with an uncaring alcoholic mother and a father who wouldn't stand up to her.

This story is centered on two main characters

-Harper is 30 years old when her mother dies. When she is cleaning out her mother's files, she finds out that she was adopted. Suddenly it all becomes clear why she and her mother were so different. Her mother was a highly regarded lawyer who refused to let Harper follow through with her plans to pursue her singing career and insisted that she go to law school. The only clue to her real family is a paper with the address at Marsh point. She decides to quit her job and find out what she can about her birth family.

-Savannah is a member of the Darby family. She ran away from the family home 30 years earlier when her baby was taken away from her by her mother right after the birth. She goes as far away as she can and ends up creating a life for herself in the Pacific northwest. With some changes happening in her life, she decides that it may be time to re-connect with her family again. She doesn't have plans to stay and has no idea how she'll be treated by her siblings but wants to get to know them again.

One of the things that I most appreciate in Ashley's books is that they are about women who are facing real life issues. And best of all - the main characters are often older women who are looking for peace and happiness in their lives but are still facing major issues that need to be overcome.

Warning - clear your calendar before you start this book because you won't want to put it down until the end. The characters are so well written that you really care about what happens to them and hope for a happy outcome to all of the family turmoil. ( )