Although Teal Morgan-Adams and River Adams are happily married and Teal’s daughter Maiya loves her new stepdad, Teal is still carrying some significant emotional baggage from her past. Her own father abandoned her and her mom, her stepfather was physically abusive, and she has never revealed the identity of Maiya’s father to anyone, not even to the man himself.
Experiencing a major Los Angeles earthquake up close leaves Teal shaken in more ways than one, especially after she learns that her daughter has been secretly dating an older boy. She decides to return to her hometown for a visit, with Maiya, to clear her head and reconnect with her daughter.
Back in Oregon, Teal has a chance to spend time with her sister and mother, and even seizes an opportunity to speak to her father. Throughout all of this, Maiya continues pushing to know who her biological father is, while Teal struggles with her fears of how Maiya would be affected if she is rejected as Teal was.
One of the most satisfying aspects of this book is the process that Teal goes through as she reconciles with (or at least confronts) her family members and also becomes more truly connected with her daughter and husband. Deciding to leave the physical comfort zone she has created for herself in LA leads her to recognize the emotional comfort zone she has built to protect her heart.
Although healing from the hurts of the past is not always an instant thing, or an easy one, it is still a miracle when we allow it to happen. And this book illustrates that beautifully.
I would definitely recommend Heart Echoes to fans of contemporary and inspirational novels.
Thank you to Tyndale House for providing a review copy of this book. You can visit Trish at her blog, In So Many Words.