Book Review: The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel, reviewed by Jessica

From the author of the international bestseller The Sweetness of Forgetting, named one of the Best Books of Summer 2012 by Marie Claire magazine, comes a captivating novel about the struggle to overcome the past when our memories refuse to be forgotten.

In this richly told story where Sliding Doors meets P.S. I Love You, Kristin Harmel weaves a heart-wrenching tale that asks: what does it take to move forward in life without forgetting the past?

After her husband’s sudden death over ten years ago, Kate Waithman never expected to be lucky enough to find another love of her life. But now she’s planning her second walk down the aisle to a perfectly nice man. So why isn’t she more excited?

At first, Kate blames her lack of sleep on stress. But when she starts seeing Patrick, her late husband, in her dreams, she begins to wonder if she’s really ready to move on. Is Patrick trying to tell her something? Attempting to navigate between dreams and reality, Kate must uncover her husband’s hidden message. Her quest leads her to a sign language class and into the New York City foster system, where she finds rewards greater than she could have imagined.

This book broke me. I started The Life Intended fully planning to finish it in one sitting. That didn’t happen. Not because the book wasn’t well written. It absolutely is. Not even because I couldn’t love the characters or the story. Both of those items were instantly checked off my list after I’d finished the first chapter. No, this book took a long time for me to read because I couldn’t stop crying. Every time I picked it up, and started to read, I’d start sobbing. I’m not talking teary-eyed, or even a few tears, I’m talking full out sobbing. Whew, kudos to Kristin Harmel.