Beyond the Waves

At the begining of the book I was utterly confused at what was going on. Why this girl was kept away from the world. It was a very interesting story if you are into phsychology. I was confused however about the meaning of the snakes, not knowing if men in general were snakes or their man parts were the snakes. I did feel heart ache for this psychologically disturbed child. I have read better, and been less confused and felt like I learned alot more . If your up to a challenge this is it.

Though two years have passed since her daughter Sarah died, psychologist Abby Cohen remains in mourning. Her four year old son Ben has noticed how his mom is distant to him so he always turns to his father Michael for comforting and parenting. Twelve years old Miranda is found wandering in horror the streets of Manhattan. Barely able to respond to inquiries, Miranda is taken to St. Ann's Hospital where Abby takes charge of her. A few weeks later, Miranda's "daddy" surfaces; Jack Reynolds has been worried about his missing daughter who never leaves their home out of fear of the snakes. His search for his daughter finally succeeds when he finds her at St. Ann's. As Abbey challenges Jack in court over the welfare of Miranda, the psychologist begins to connect with her own family as she finally starts to move past grieving for her deceased child. However, the biological father has everything going for him in court so all Abby can do is pray for a miracle for this young girl. BEYOND THE WAVES is an insightful look at grieving, which is an individual process regardless of whose the person is. Abby is a terrific center of the tale as she struggles with showing her love to her family following the death of her daughter. However, it is the relationship with Miranda that makes the tale unique as the young retarded girl has lived a sheltered life until the hospital stay opens her eyes. Though the ending is too convenient and seemingly out of character for a key player, readers will appreciate this perceptive look at mental health. Harriet Klausner

Ms. Marek has penned a very emotional novel, which is about change and the various ways we all deal with important issues. This is a character driven read and with several different characters vying to tell their own story you would think that the reader would get a little lost. The fact of the matter is Ms. Marek manages to weave several different plots together seamlessly and by doing so tells a story that is both disturbing and moving. Psychologist Abby Cohen has lost her daughter to illness. She has been having a hard time dealing with her sorrow and as a result her relationship with her husband Michael, and her relationship with her four-year-old son is falling apart. She wants to feel again but is unsure how to go about doing this. That is until twelve-year-old Miranda is brought to her hospital. Miranda seems detached and mute. She responds to no one until she sees Abby. Abby is drawn to Miranda but in order to help unravel Miranda's past and treat her, she must look inside herself to see what truly lays behind the calm smiles. What she finds is she has the ability to love after all despite all that she has lost. This is really not a "romance novel" in the literal sense. This is truly a mainstream novel that will appeal to all readers. Ms. Marek touches on all sorts of topics ranging from the loss of a child, how to keep a child safe from harm but still allowing them to live, and what love truly is. Abby, Miranda, Jack and Michael are all strong characters and they each bring something important to the story. This is the strong debut effort from Ms. Marek and I think that she will be a great asset to woman's fiction in the future. Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com