The Ocean Inside
Frοm thе acclaimed author οf Calling Home comes a compelling nеw novel аbουt thе bonds between husband аnd wife, parents аnd children, аnd аbουt thе strength thаt lies within υѕ, waiting tο bе tested. . .Life changes іn аn instant. One day, Emmett аnd Lauren Sullivan’s bіggеѕt worries revolve around thе escalating taxes οn thеіr gοrgеουѕ Victorian beach house οn Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. Thе next, thеу’re facing a devastating crisis. Emmett аnd Lauren hаνе always bееn a team, working together tο raise thеіr daughters іn thіѕ bеаυtіfυl, tranquil spot οn thе edge οf thе Deep South. Now, wіth аll thеіr attention focused οn nine-year-οld Ainslie, thеу barely notice аѕ thеіr older daughter, Sloan, drifts further away frοm thеm аnd toward a reckless path thаt сουld tear thе family apart. Deeply evocative аnd bеаυtіfυllу rendered, Thе Ocean Inside explores whаt іt means tο hope, tο lονе, аnd tο fight fοr whаt matters mοѕt, even іn thе face οf overwhelming odds. “Janna McMahan’s compell
Thе Ocean Inside
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(out οf 19 reviews)
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Review by K. Davis for The Ocean Inside
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The moment I started this book, I could not put it down. The story begins at once and never lets you loose. The chapters flowed together and did not drag with unimportant filler. Reading the book moves even faster as the story line progresses. I wanted to know what was next, I was living the story. I could not put it down. The characers were real and believable. At times, I felt I could have known this family from my community and been apart of their lives. The story has a purpose and at the end of the book, I was satisfied with the conclusion. (This does not always happen at the end of a book!)This is a book I have told my family and friends is a must read. I am now a big fan of Janna McMahan.
Review by Patricia Kay for The Ocean Inside
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I have thoroughly enjoyed the two books of McMahan’s that I’ve read, and I’ve passed them on to my sister, who enjoys good women’s fiction, too. THE OCEAN INSIDE is the story of what happens to a family when tragedy strikes. It’s the kind of story anyone can relate to, and the fact that it’s beautifully written certainly helps. I appreciated McMahan’s ability to keep the story moving and not to get bogged down into melodrama, although I agree with the reviewer who said the fight with the insurance company was a bit heavy-handed. Still, I understood why. Too often, our lives are controlled by forces we can’t fight, and this was but one example of what can happen to people who are at the mercy of insurance companies and their bottom-line mentality. I’m looking forward to reading more of McMahan’s books and hope she has a long and successful career. RECOMMENDATION: an enjoyable read for anyone who likes stories with family themes.
Review by Susan Crane for The Ocean Inside
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What a great novel from Janna McMahan. This is a wonderfully written story about a family’s struggle with children’s cancer and a young girl’s coming of age. The story, set in the South Carolina town, Pawley’s Island, has lots of South Carolina references. The story is told from all of the characters points of view and you feel their worry, pain and heartache. The characters are very real and human. You experience their struggles and begin to understand what families have to go through when cancer is diagnosed. Within each character the reader can find a part of themselves. Pick up a copy and take out to the beach with you this summer. But take plenty of sunscreen, because you won’t want to put it down. Also, take a look at her first novel Calling Home as well.
Review by Harriet Klausner for The Ocean Inside
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On Pawley’s Island, South Carolina, Emmet and Lauren Sullivan raise their two children in a wonder loving home. However, their idyllic lifestyle takes a horrific blow when their youngest daughter nine years old Ainslie becomes critically ill.
Emmet and Lauren try their best not to neglect their teenage older daughter Sloan, but cannot help their focus has to be on Ainslie. Sloan feels increasingly like an intruder filled with anger, resentment and remorse as even their grandparents ignore her while taking a zillion photos of her ailing sibling. She begins to turn to reckless actions like swimming in the ocean at night alone and falling for her boyfriend Cal’s pressure in order to gain some attention from her parents.
THE OCEAN INSIDE is a profound look at what happens to internal relationships when a trauma crashes the lives of a happy seemingly well balanced family. The Sullivan foursome is fully developed with each having a unique personality so that the audience can see how they react differently to Ainslie’s health crisis. Lauren dives into charities; Emmett worries about paying medical bills; Sloan feels deserted; and Ainslie turns reflective as she knows how her sister, her parents, and the islanders feel. Janna McMahan provides a thoughtful contemporary tale that will leave her readers pondering how we would act.
Harriet Klausner
Review by Libby Mari for The Ocean Inside
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The topic of this book, which emphasizes the financial devastation that accompanies chronic illness and diseases is very timely considering the health care debates that are currently going on in Congress. I think the author did a great job with depicting a family who is struggling with not only caring for a sick child but also battling with an insurance company while bills pile up. The fact that this financial stress also affects not only everyone else in the family (the oldest daughter now finds that college is not a given, the parents take their stressors out on each other) but also may directly affect the treatment the child is eligible for (one hospital wouldn’t examine the child due to the parent’s outstanding bills) is very accurate.
The storyline moves from one character to another with enough momentum to keep the reader entertained. The ending is a bit fantastic, and not for those who want a book to read with a sound moral ending. The reader may disagree with the final choices the characters make, but it will spark thoughts about what you would do in the same situation.
I marked the book down to four stars because I felt that at times the balance was lost and it became a book solely about the financial hardships of the family. They have a critically ill child, yet seem to worry more about bills than the fact that she could die.
Overall a good read. Get it free for the Kindle and be surprised by the quality offered for free.