The novel begins with Constance, a single mother /entomologist whose goal is to save the honeybee. When her life abruptly ends in an accident, Anna’s story takes over; an artist married to a young physician, Anna becomes pregnant soon after being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. Her decision to forego treatment during the pregnancy is a testament to her devotion to her unborn child as well as to her courage. Daughter Paige, like her mother and grandmother, faces her own demons and disappointments, but her abiding hope is to one day become an ethnobotanist and find the key to deactivating the cancer gene.
Although there are some choppy transitions within the text, Avery’s plot is compelling and her characters ring true. Readers will be drawn to Anna’s bravery and to Paige’s brilliance. Surprising plot twists take readers from the abyss of drug addiction to the depths of the Congo (there is even a scene from the afterlife in which we get to more deeply understand Constance’s path).
Through her characters, author Avery Davis explores the concepts of destiny and choice, ultimately revealing that each and every life has many potential outcomes.
Reviewed by Kathryn E. Livingston for IndieReader