Sweet Breath of Memory
Ariella Cohen, 2016
Kensington Books
400 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781496703705
Summary
Life is in the telling.
With its tree-lined streets, vibrant downtown and curbside planters of spring bulbs, Amberley, Massachusetts, seems a good place for Cate Saunders to start over.
It's been two years since her husband, John, was killed in Iraq and life has been a struggle. Her new job as a caregiver doesn't pay much, but the locals are welcoming. In fact, Cate has barely unpacked before she's drawn—reluctantly at first—into a circle of friends.
There's diner-owner Gaby, who nourishes her customers' spirits as well as their bodies; feisty Beatrice, who kept the town going when its men marched off to WWII; wise-cracking MaryLou, as formidable as Fort Knox but with the same heart of gold; and, Sheila, whose Italian grocery is the soul of the place.
As Amberley reveals itself to be a town shaped by war, Cate encounters another kindred spirit—a Holocaust survivor with whom she feels a deep connection. When revelations about John's death threaten Cate's newfound peace of mind, these sisters-in-arms' stories show her an unexpected way forward.
And Cate comes to understand that although we suffer loss alone, we heal by sharing our most treasured memories. (From the publisher.)