The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry

Reviewed by Kristin

Lena Donohue left Watersend, a small town on the South Carolina coast a decade ago when her wedding day went awry. She’s made few fleeting trips home to see her mother, her father, her brother Shane, but not her sister Hallie. With careful planning, Lena has managed to avoid Hallie, her closest confidante and her greatest betrayer. But when Shane calls to say that their father Gavin’s health is declining, Lena immediately books a flight to return to the family she left so many years ago.

Gavin is well-known in Watersend. He runs an Irish-styled pub called The Lark, expertly pulling pints of Guinness and making easy conversation with locals and tourists alike. As his memories begin to fade through the haze of Alzheimer’s disease, Lena, Hallie, and Shane must band together to help him reclaim the events of his life.

With the two sisters, Patti Callahan Henry vividly shows the sharp pain of betrayal of a family member. The characters feel real, as Lena and Hallie attempt to work together for the good of their father. Hallie has moved on and made a life with her husband and two little girls. Lena has created her own life as a travel writer in New York City, choosing to be called Colleen while having loose and fleeting relationships. When she returns home, she must make a conscious decision to remain there to be a part of a family long separated.

Although Gavin is beginning to have memory issues, he is still aware of what is happening to him, and aware that he may lose more of his past and his present. Lena, Hallie, and Shane decide to create a memory book for him so that he can look back to see his life in stories and in pictures. Of course the book must be finished quickly as they are planning a birthday celebration for Gavin. This memory book is the one part of the novel that felt contrived to me, as it seemed to be a device to carry the plot along. Inevitably, discrepancies in dates and events come to light as the siblings talk to Gavin and to the people around him, creating more questions than are answered.

While I enjoyed this novel, after finishing it I realized that it has some common themes with the other Henry novel that I have read:  Between the Tides. Coastal South Carolina? Check. A young woman who moves away and must return? Check. A father who she loves but finds that she did not entirely know? Check. Just because there are similarities does not mean that I did not enjoy both books. Sometimes it’s nice to have a book that is slightly predictable. The author made me care about the characters and that kept me reading to the end. I will definitely be checking out more of Henry’s writing.

Between the Tides by Patti Callahan Henry

Reviewed by Kristin

Catherine Leary has absolutely no desire to return to Seaboro, South Carolina.  She spent the first twelve years of her life there until a momentary lapse caused a sharp and sudden loss, wrenching her away from the gentle coast.  The family moved upstate to Cedar Valley, surrounded by the southern Appalachians, where Catherine has lived ever since.  But her father’s last wish was that Catherine scatter his ashes in that place where he was most at home.  How can she ignore that?

Forrest Anderson, Catherine’s father’s co-worker and friend, has begun writing a book about Southern University’s favorite professor:  Dr. Leary.  Forrest wants more detail about the family’s life, and insists on going with Catherine back to the small town on the edge of the Atlantic where everyone knows the Learys.  Forrest is an old boyfriend, creating a bit of tension as they hit the road together.

Catherine’s current boyfriend Thurman is the basketball coach at the university, but he seems a bit distant these days.  Thurman is off recruiting in Alabama as Catherine undertakes this journey to carry out her father’s request.  Forrest is just a friend, but a comforting one as so many of the other parts of Catherine’s life seem to be falling apart.  As Catherine looks to her past, what does it mean for her future?

In Seaboro, Catherine finds many memories she would rather remain buried.  Ellie, an old beloved neighbor, is now living in the past as dementia overtakes her mind.  Boyd, Ellie’s son, would rather Catherine stay away, far away.  Alice, a friend of the family, welcomes Catherine with open arms, and a few clues about the real reasons that Catherine’s family left Seaboro.

Patti Callahan Henry has created a story with a strong sense of place in Between the Tides.  I could practically smell the water as Catherine walked along the pier carrying the urn of her father’s ashes.  Catherine’s childhood memories were portrayed vividly, as she recalled them amidst the turmoil of returning to a place she hadn’t seen in almost two decades.  Switching from the present to the past and back again, the author weaves together the strands of Catherine’s story.

All families have secrets, whether large or small.  The Leary family is no different.  By making this trip to her childhood home, Catherine finds so much has changed, but in the end she is more at peace with herself and all that has gone before.