Synopsis
Meredith Fields’ formerly placid life is shattering piece by piece. She feels guilty over placing her mother in a nursing home. Keith, her husband, has fallen in love with his young assistant, and wants a divorce. An accomplished author, she’s bored with her romance books, and has a tight deadline for her next book – which she hasn’t quite started.
As Meredith sorts through her mother’s house and finds clues to the woman’s shadowy past, she recognizes much of her mother in herself. She begins to understand why her mother related so poorly to her children, and is shaken by parallels in her relationships with her own children. Her growing compassion for Katherine’s difficult life becomes the catalyst for her new novel, Hope’s Illusion. When Meredith finds a journal she kept in her twenties, she is reminded of the love she once felt for Keith, and the extent of his loss settles in. A series of crises forces them to confront their relationship, showing Meredith the way to restore her spirit and mend her shattered life.
Reviews
22nd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards Entry Title In Her Mother’s Shoes
Author: Dawn Lajeunesse
Judge Number: 96
Entry Category: Genre Fiction Books are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “needs improvement” and 5 meaning “outstanding”. This scale is strictly to provide a point of reference, it is not a cumulative score and does not reflect ranking.
- Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 5
- Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 5
- Production Quality and Cover Design: 5
- Plot and Story Appeal: 5 Character Appeal and Development: 5
- Voice and Writing Style: 5
- Judge’s Commentary:
IN HER MOTHER’S SHOES by Dawn Lajeunesse is a touching, deeply satisfying story about a critical part of a woman’s midlife journey, which includes a journey where she must also face her past. The front cover is very appropriate and will encourage readers to look inside the book. I like the image of the silk shoes resting on top of old letters. On the back cover, the story is summed up very well. The author biography is interesting. I can just imagine the author writing amid her other activities. I know many authors, and this sounds like their lives. I would have also enjoyed seeing an author photo on the back cover, or at least inside.
The story starts out with a dilemma that will be familiar to most women — too much to do in too little time. Because the story is so easy to relate to, it’s easy to keep reading. The problems the heroine faces with her aging parent are also familiar to many readers. However, the problem does introduce the opportunity for the heroine to dig into the past to revisit distant times, which in turn gives her a chance to reassess her life and to grow. I think women of all ages, but particularly middle aged women, will appreciate this book. The story is a snapshot of real life. Women everywhere will appreciate IN HER MOTHER’S SHOES.
