Tag Archive | Julianne MacLean

What Tomorrow Will Be by Julianne MacLean

Jan20

A Work Of Great Beauty

What Tomorrow Will Be by Julieanne MacLean is the most beautiful contemporary novel that will lodge deep in your heart and soul. Every once in a while, a book comes along that profoundly impacts me – and this is that book. I know it will stay with me forever.

The action is in three main time periods – 1998, 2006 and 2025. These are pivotal moments in the lives of characters. They are the defining years. A life is bookmarked by two freak accidents – both have huge emotional impact for all those involved. We often wonder – why do bad things happen to good people? Sometimes there are just no answers but I was reminded of the Bible passage in Genesis 49 where God uses bad circumstances and flips it round to good.

You never forget your first love – especially if it has been ripped away. A character has had the big love of her life, and of her present love she says: “It doesn’t feel earth shattering. It’s a quieter kind of love.” It is a love on which lives and a family have been built – but are the foundations strong enough to weather the storms?

Personal dreams are good to have, to give you something to strive for, but not at the expense of today. “I spend too much time mapping out my future. As a result, I forget to enjoy the present.” Do not miss the present because the future is not guaranteed.

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All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianne MacLean

Mar25

The Greatest Love

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianna MacLean is the most beautiful novel that I read in just one sitting.

The novel spans a lifetime as it is set in 1946, the following few years; and then into 1995.

The main setting is a wild and rugged small island off the mainland of Canada. The landscape is at one with nature – but nature can be dangerous.

The book is about the greatest love. It is a love that will never die, despite attempts by others to thwart it. People come and go; the years move on; relationships and people die – but this is a love that lasts. Like a diamond refined by fire. This is a love that only gets stronger.

All the characters were well drawn, likable and believable. I found myself cheering on the leading pair, willing their love to last.

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A Storm Of Infinite Beauty by Julianne MacLean

Sep8

Stunningly Beautiful

A Storm Of Infinite Beauty by Julianne MacLean is an absolutely delightful dual timeline novel that will educate you as you read.

The novel revolves around the little-known Alaskan earthquake in the 1960’s. It was a catastrophic event for a seaboard town and one I had not heard of. We see the beauty in nature and also the dangers of the natural world.

As the story opens, the reader is in the middle of the quake. It is both an exciting and utterly terrifying place to be. Julianne MacLean draws us in with her descriptions as we witness the all-round devastation. My pulse rose and I wanted to read on.

The action is set in two different time periods – 1964 and 2017 – it is told in the form of memories and also present-day events. A family links the two time periods.

Within both time periods there are parallel themes of love and loss, infidelity and faithfulness. We see how people were judged and shunned in the past for what we now see is acceptable today (thank goodness). Judgement from others causes much unhappiness. We should look at our own lives and keep our noses out of what does not concern us.

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These Tangled Vines by Julianne MacLean

Apr17

The Greatest Gift

These Tangled Vines by Julianne MacLean is the most delightful dual timeline novel about love and family.

The novel is set in 1986 and 2017 and is seen through the eyes of a mother and her daughter. There have been secrets kept but now it is time to learn the truth about the summer of 1986.

Julianne MacLean has a colourful palette of words which she uses to vividly paint the Tuscan landscape. The reader can ‘see’ the vibrant countryside through her words. We ‘feel’ the soaring heat and ‘smell’ the aromatic food and drink. These Tangled Vines is a wonderful assault on our senses.

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