THE EDGE OF WINTER – Luanne Rice
A Perfect 10
Bantam (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-0-553-80527-7 (HC)
ISBN: 978-0-553-58765-4 (MM)
February 2007 (Hc)
December 2007 (MM)
Contemporary Fiction

Rhode Island – Present Day

Mickey Halloran is injured when she flips over her bicycle at the Refuge Beach where she went to see the illusive snowy owl. Her schoolmate, Shane West, runs for the ranger. Luckily, Mickey only broke her wrist with some cuts and bruises. Her mother, Neve, has been to family court trying to get back child support from her ex-husband, Richard, who has even stopped paying Mickey’s medical insurance. Neve hurries to the hospital, and meets the forest ranger, Tim O’Casey, who accompanied Mickey to the emergency room. Tim disdainfully asks why her husband hadn’t come to the hospital, as though Neve is at fault.

Mickey’s best friend, Jenna, is growing up and moving away from her. No longer interested in bird watching, she is more interested in her boyfriend. Mickey feels more alone than ever as she thinks about her missing dad, and her mother’s concerns about money. When Tim stops by to apologize to Neve about his rudeness and to give Mickey a book on snowy owls, he sticks his foot in his mouth again trying to tell Neve what she should do about her child. Tim is still grieving over the death of his son and his estrangement from his father.

Something that Neve, Mickey, Shane, and Tim all have in common is love of the ocean, land, and birds on the eastern seaboard. They all want to stop the raising of a German U-boat that sank off their shore during World War II, because they feel it is part of their history and the gravesite of fifty-five Germans who died. They are all fascinated with the beautiful snowy owl, a bird that is rarely seen in that part of the world. Tim’s father, who commanded the ship that destroyed the German U-boat during the war, has a habitat for injured birds, and had a close relationship with his brother, Damien, a sensitive man who was a flyer in the Second World War.

THE EDGE OF WINTER is a wonderful story about a young girl growing up, and her mother who wants the best for her. It is also about Neve who is trying to come to terms with her life as a single mother, and her attraction to the ranger. Ms. Rice writes with emotion about the Rhode Island shore, so that readers will feel the love that the characters have for the sea and wild life. She also writes a subtle anti-war message of how many people are killed or damaged by war. All of the characters are sensitive, likeable, have suffered losses, and are willing to fight for what they believe.

Don’t be surprised if you shed a few tears over this heart-warming story. By the end of this beautifully written book, the characters feel like people you know intimately. You won’t want to miss Luanne Rice’s latest offering -- it’s a winner. THE EDGE OF WINTER is a Perfect 10.

Marilyn Heyman