Tides of Passion

Diana Tremain Braund has written a number of books and this one adds to her record for rich story telling. The central question in this book is, how long do you hold onto a relationship that is no longer working? How long do you stay loyal to a commitment and resist the temptation provided by what could be a more fulfilling life? Amy Day and Kelly Burns live on Bath Island, Maine. Their relationship has been unsatisfactory for Kelly for a long time. Amy can be loving and kind, but most of the time she is emotionally abusive towards Kelly and hypercritical of whatever she does. Kelly is trying to hang on to make the situation work because she doesn't believe that you walk out on a commitment, but she is suffering greatly in silence. All of that will begin to change when Susan Iogen arrives on the island. Susan is the publicity representative for a company that wants to use the island for a liquid natural gas depot. The opposition to the project organizes quickly with Amy as its leader, but Kelly stays out of most of the activities because she is busy at work. Eventually, Kelly meets Susan, who represents the antithesis of everything Amy believes in, but who holds a special attraction for Kelly. As Amy becomes more immersed in the fight against the company, Kelly and Susan are drawn together, leading to an eventual betrayal. Kelly breaks the rules and the reader is left to decide if her actions are a justified reaction to Amy's behavior or a selfish indulgence. How will Kelly resolve the situation she then finds herself in? This is a book worth reading.