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    Ascension of Larks
    Ascension of Larks
    Ascension of Larks
    Audiobook8 hours

    Ascension of Larks

    Written by Rachel Linden

    Narrated by Lauren Woodward

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    “Winsome kids and family friends add depth and warmth to the well-developed cast of characters. Readers will eagerly await future offerings from this promising new author.”--Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

    “Linden’s debut novel is a bittersweet tale of enduring friendship, family ties, and the complexities of love that will engage readers of thoughtful women’s fiction.”--Library Journal, STARRED review, Debut of the Month

    When globetrotting photographer Magdalena Henry loses the only man she’s ever loved, she risks her stellar career to care for his widow and young children on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest.

    Free-spirited and fiercely independent, Maggie adores her life of travel and adventure. But she has a secret. She can’t let go of her first and only love, renowned architect Marco Firelli, now married to her best friend Lena.

    When Marco drowns in a kayaking accident, Maggie rushes to the Firelli family’s summer home on San Juan Island. Once there she discovers that Marco was hiding something that could destroy his family. As fragile, perfectionistic Lena slowly falls apart, Maggie tries to provide stability for Marco and Lena’s three young children.

    When Maggie is offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to compete in the world’s most prestigious photography competition, she thinks she’s found the answer to their problems. Then Lena makes a choice with unexpected and devastating consequences, forcing Maggie to grapple with an agonizing decision. Does she sacrifice the golden opportunity of her career or abandon the Firellis just when they need her the most?

    Gradually the island begins to work its magic. A century-old ritual to beckon loved ones home offers hope in the midst of sorrow. And a guilt-ridden yet compelling stranger hiding on the island may offer Maggie a second chance at love, but only if she can relinquish the past and move forward to find joy in unexpected places.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateJun 20, 2017
    ISBN9780718095758
    Ascension of Larks
    Author

    Rachel Linden

    Rachel Linden is a novelist and international aid worker whose adventures in over fifty countries around the world provide excellent grist for her writing. She is the author of Ascension of Larks, Becoming the Talbot Sisters, and The Enlightenment of Bees. Currently Rachel lives with her family in Seattle, Washington, where she enjoys creating stories about hope, courage, and connection with a hint of romance and a touch of whimsy. Visit her online at rachellinden.com; Instagram: rachellinden_writer; Facebook: authorRachellinden.    

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    Reviews for Ascension of Larks

    4/5

    17 ratings6 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Book was great but narrator was awful. At least 30 mispronounced words (like reveled, proffered, petit four, etc.) and pitiful attempts at Italian and British accents and terrible pronunciation of Spanish and Italian. Sadly amateur and cringy and halfhearted.
    • 4/5
      Good as a CD read by Lauren Woodward. A little on the formulaic side simply because there were just SO many problems that kept appearing and needed to be worked through before you could get to an ending!! I half-way made some assumptions along the way that were correct as to how the author could reach a reasonable ending, and I was right.
    • 4/5
      Maggie Henry is a successful photographer but less accomplished at relationships. She is single and travels the world taking pictures in remote parts of the world. Maggie has not had time to develop friends due to her hectic schedule but remains in contact with her married college friends, Lena and Marco. Deep down she has repressed a longtime crush on Marco for almost a decade. Maggie learns that Marco has drowned in a kayaking accident and rushes to Lena’s home to comfort her friend. She is forced to confront the divergent paths that each of their lives have taken since college. Lena was married with three kids living in the suburbs while Maggie remained alone to enhance her career. Maggie has always been jealous that Marco chose Lena over herself while she was studying abroad. As she evaluates her current surroundings she begins to examine who has had the happier life. During her stay, secrets about Marco are quickly uncovered and she must decide what role she will take to help Lena and her family. This book is about long term friendships and how they evolve over time. It is about changing perspectives and not getting stuck in our old identities. Rachel Linden’s next book, Becoming The Talbot Sisters, will be released in May 2018.
    • 4/5
      Ascension of Larks by author Rachel Linden is a beautifully constructed novel. Complex characters and plotting kept me interested and engaged. The setting of San Juan Island in Washington brought a richness and perhaps a bit of magic to the narrative. The themes of loss and aloneness will speak to most readers. This is a novel I loved, and I recommend it. The only drawback is the mix of spiritual elements that, while pointing to restoration and healing, for me, only presented a confusing message.Maggie Henry travels to the only home she knows — the summer getaway of best friends Lena and Marco. But it is tragedy that brings her there. In the depths of grief, Maggie must navigate more and more loss as she attempts to help a hurting family. As the weeks go on, Maggie is confronted with the truth of her life and the road to healing she must take.Ascension of Larks can be termed women’s fiction. The point of view is from main character Maggie. The story is told in a series of present day events interspersed with memories. All of the characters are well-developed and believable in their actions, motives, emotions, and flaws. No one is perfect, but all are perfectly human. Healing for photographer Maggie comes in the realization that she has been living life looking through the viewfinder of her camera. “It made her feel better to have her camera in her hands. Life made more sense when she could see it through a viewfinder.” (page 101) Maggie has unconsciously kept herself away from pain and messiness, choosing to document life rather than feel it. But life is messy and it does hurt, and aloofness from the world only isolates. Linden is a very talented writer and has created a book that is a joy to read.Because of all the above, I would normally have given Ascension of Larks a highly recommended rating. But . . . the spiritual messages of the book are a mix of Christianity and manmade ritual seeking to make sense of the world. As a child, Maggie was hurt by rigid and legalistic church practices and attitudes that are definitely not Christ-like, so she is at once a sceptic and a seeker. The one character in the book that articulates God’s grace, does so in a round about fashion. I think this, combined with the other mystical elements, obscures the real truth. All of that would be okay if this book was marketed to a general market audience, but this is Christian fiction. As such, I think that it should have had a more definitive message. Obviously, these are just my subjective thoughts (make sure to visit other blogs on the tour for more thoughts and insights). The novel certainly made me think, and would make for great discussion for a book club.Recommended.Audience: adults.Great for Book Clubs.(Thanks to TLC Book Tours for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
    • 4/5
      In the beginning, there was some warming up to both the story and the characters. Yet, after I got over that small hurdle I was able to really enjoy the story as well as the characters. There was a bit of a message as well "All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."To be honest, it was not only Lena and her three children, Gabby, Luca, and Jonah that needed assistance; Maggie did as well. She just did not know it at first. Yet, by the end of the story, everyone had grown stronger. I can't forget to mention Lena's Aunt Ellen. She was a bit of the glue that helped bind everyone together as well. Daniel was the mystery wild card in the story. However, as his story was slowly revealed, I came to like him as well. He brought great knowledge as his profession in poetry. He may not have fully found his peace but it was coming. This book will stick with you even after you have finished the last page with engaging characters and a well written story.
    • 5/5
      There were two things Maggie loved more than anything else in her life—her photography and Marco: a man who has been her best friend and confidant since college, but who married her other best friend Lena.Traveling the world taking award winning pictures has fulfilled her and put her at the top of her career, and even though she can never have Marco, the three of them have a lasting friendship and they spend every summer together on San Juan Island in the Pacific Northwest. Maggie is planning to go there when she gets done with her latest assignment, and then Lena calls and tells her Marco has died in an accident on the Island. In shock, Maggie abruptly ends her photo-shoot and travels to help Lena, and when she arrives on the Island she finds that Lena is having an emotional breakdown and is barely able to care for her children. As the days go by Maggie realizes she must stay longer to help the children, and the longer she stays on the Island the more her career is in jeopardy and the more secrets are surfacing; including one about a mysterious stranger lurking in the woods. I loved this book—from its title, to the settings, and the characters a definite 5 star favorite.