Barbara Davis (2) (1961–)

This is a lovely story set in North Carolina in a fictional island village called Starry Point. Five years previously Lane Kramer left a failed marriage in Chicago and ended up in The Outer Banks, opening a bed and breakfast called The Cloister.

As the story begins, a tropical storm is moving into the area and Lane has just closed the business down for the winter. Nevertheless, when an English professor traveling from Vermont, Michael Forrester, appears at the door, she can hardly turn him show more away.

Lane finds Michael undeniably handsome, but he seems moody, opinionated, and reclusive. When he asks to stay for the winter though, she accepts; she could use the money, and besides, there have been a rash of break-ins on the island lately; she would feel better with someone else in the house.

Every morning Lane takes a walk out to the lighthouse, and she has started taking along tea and baked goods for a disheveled older woman who also walks out on the dunes every day. The woman gives her name as Mary, and Lane feels drawn to her; at the very least, she worries that the woman has no one else to talk to her. Lane is curious about who Mary is, and what brings her to the dunes every day.

One evening not long after Michael arrived, Lane and her mother have a fight over the phone, and in an effort to get her mother off of her back about her being alone, Lane tells her she does have a boyfriend, and he is living with her. But this only complicates matters: Lane’s mother appears on her doorstep unexpectedly to meet this new boyfriend, and a panicky Lane is saved when Michael picks up the ball and plays the role of the boyfriend. Both of them find they like this play-acting a lot.

Meanwhile, the mayor has announced he is shutting down Hope House, the halfway house where Mary lives, because he suspects the residents of being behind the break-ins. Lane is incensed - the mayor has no evidence, and she vows to help Mary.

Michael, Lane, and Mary have a lot in common: all three have been badly hurt suffering grievous losses, and all have given up fighting for better lives. They are all running from, instead of running toward something. As the lives of these three as well as Lane’s mother intersect, they come to realize the enormity of what is at stake.

Discussion: The author has an excellent skill of evoking loss, and the thought processes that accompany it. At one point, Mary explains:

“We never dream we might lose those we love, because it’s too terrible, too inconceivable. They are simply the furniture of our lives, to be sidestepped, rearranged, and even stumbled over. Then one day they are simply gone, erased, and you’re left with only empty rooms and the echo of what once belonged to you.”

Such passages really make you think about the loved ones in your own life - how much we take their presence for granted. As Jhumpa Lahiri observed: "The best sentences orient us, like stars in the sky, like landmarks on a trail.”

The author also must be commended for the absence of “insta-love” in this book. The relationship between Lane and Michael develops in a dance of one step forward, two steps back, with the outcome of the movements far from a sure thing.

Evaluation: This is a good story, and well told. The characters seem real, and are all quite likable. The Outer Banks is more than just background to the story, and holds its own in the cast. And while the quote I included is about loss, this is an uplifting story. The characters discover that blame takes up a lot of space in the heart; if you can only figure out a way to let it go and forgive, there may once again be enough room for love. show less

I was intrigued by the title and completely drawn in by the cover...not a great reason to read a book I know...but whatever it was that placed this little treasure in my hands will forever have my sincere gratitude. Now I have a book hangover, and my husband just waved to me as he went off to bed....and I vowed to read "just one more chapter". We all know how well that works for us! I stayed up most of the night and a great deal of the morning to finish it. I can honestly tell you that The show more Echo of Old Books is a love story. Not a romance.... a genuine love story....and a mystery that spans decades. It will tie your heart in knots and wring emotions from you that you didn't even know you had. Be prepared to raise to the heights of joy and to plunge to the depths of despair. It is emotional, quietly exciting and leaves the reader absolutely satisfied. The story is told over two historical timelines, aided by alternating chapters of two books: "Regretting Belle" written by Hemi, and "Forever and Other Lies" written in reply to Hemi's book by Belle. I just couldn't stop reading. I wiped away tears...I smiled...I was frustrated, angry...but ultimately, satisfied. This was my first book by Barbara Davis book, but it won't be my last. show less

4.5 stars.

Love, Alice is a heart wrenching story of loss and grief that is ultimately uplifting. With the secondary story arc that takes place during the 1960s, Barbara Davis brings much needed attention to the abhorrent "Magdalene Laundries" where unwed mothers were forced to give up their babies and endure horrific living conditions. The present day storyline is equally affecting as a grief-stricken young woman searches for answers about her fiancé's inexplicable suicide a year earlier.

On show more the one year anniversary of her fiancé William Prescott's death, Dovie Larkin is no closer to understanding why he took his own life and she still remains mired in grief as she visits his grave daily. With her family, boss and friends running out of patience with her inability to move past her tragedy, she is already in danger of losing her job when she becomes obsessed with a series of letters that were written by Alice Tandy during the 1960s. Trying to help Alice's elderly mom, Dora, find a measure of peace for forcing her unwed daughter give her baby up for adoption, Dovie puts her career in jeopardy when her search for answers leads to the Tate family, who just happen to have recently made a huge donation to the museum where she works. Working closely with Austin Tate on a fundraiser, Dovie tries to respect his request that she stay away from his grieving mother, Gemma, but she quickly realizes that Gemma quite possibly holds the key to finding out what happened to Alice. Will uncovering the truth about what happened to Alice and the baby she gave up for adoption help heal Dora's wounds? Can understanding Dora's grief provide a way for Dovie to move past her own grief?

Dovie's need for answers about William's suicide is completely understandable but it is very frustrating watching her push away her friends and family in the process. It is also somewhat maddening that even though she KNOWS her job is in jeopardy, she continues to make reckless decisions that puts her career on the line. It is not until she meets Austin that she is forced to take a hard look at her relationship with William and face the truth that has been staring her in face all along. Dovie is also very dismayed by her unnerving attraction to the handsome Tate heir, but Austin has his own demons to make peace with before their relationship can move forward.

The storyline about Alice's time at the Blackhurst Asylum for Unwed Mothers is incredibly poignant and utterly heartrending. The stigma of unwed pregnancy is the driving force behind Dora's decision to force her daughter to give up her child for adoption. Through a series of letters written over the years to her beloved baby, the truth about Alice's time at Blackhurst and her subsequent search for her child emerges in heartbreaking detail.

From the first gut wrenching and emotional letter to the final deeply moving missive, Love, Alice is an absolutely riveting story that is impossible to put down. The plot is a bit predictable but this does not lessen the impact of this touching story. The characters are beautifully developed and although deeply flawed, they are sympathetic and easy to root for. Barbara Davis's decision to include the "Magdalene Laundries" in the novel adds an incredible amount of depth and substance to the storyline. The addition of a slight romantic element lightens the story but it also forces Dovie and Austin to deal with the unresolved issues from their previous relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend beautiful novel of healing and redemption. show less

Books about books are always a favorite and The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis did not disappoint. In this case, the books are discovered by Ashlyn Greer, a young antique book dealer who is able to feel the vibrations and emotions of a book's past owners. She finds the two beautifully bound, evidently self-published books in a box and becomes obsessed with discovering the truth behind them. The books tell the story of a tragic love affair, each book written by one of the lovers. Davis show more masterfully weaves the three stories together: Ashlyn's search for the truth along with the two competing narratives from the lovers as they pursue forbidden love and experience deep betrayal. It was excellent. show less