Share This Review
In Sharon Mikeworth’s book, A Patch of Blue, Carrie Sinclair tries to escape her crumbling world by embarking alone on a vacation in Fiji. When a misadventure on a boat tour leaves her stranded on a deserted island, Carrie as no choice but to re-evaluate her priorities. Now struggling to survive in complete isolation, the family drama that drove her halfway around the world begins to seem less important. Carrie can only wonder whether she will ever see her beloved children again, whether they even believe that she is alive, whether she will ever be rescued, and if she even wants to return to her old life.
For a relatively simple story, there’s a lot going on. There’s a little bit of the Cast Away or Robinson Crusoe -style survival adventure. There’s a little romance. There are some family drama elements. Mostly, there is a combination of pretty excellent characters swept together in a compelling plot. The novel is centered around Carrie Sinclair, but the reader gets incredibly vivid impressions of several of the secondary characters (notably Carrie’s husband Jared), which then enhances the plot through their various impacts on Carrie’s life.
A lot of this novel deals with themes of getting older and losing out on life. At times, Carrie has to wonder if parts of her life were wasted. Does she regret the years poured into the failed marriage? Should she mourn the time passed by herself on her island? In order to achieve contentment, Carrie needs to reconcile herself to the way her life has turned out, even if it wasn’t according to her original plan. Then she needs to resolve to make every day and every interaction with the people she loves best count. Even though I’m not a housewife and stay-at-home mom in my forties like her, I feel like I can still relate to Carrie’s struggles on this point.
I rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars. I found it enjoyable and well-written. It was brief and fast-paced without being rushed, so it would probably be a good choice even for busier people who would like to be readers but usually can’t find the time. I think this is a book that would appeal to all the over-worked and under-appreciated wives and mothers who want to invest their leisure minutes in something worth reading.
***
Buy "A Patch Of Blue" on Amazon
