Jean Reynolds Page

Carson is dying of pancreatic cancer when he asks his wife Elaine to take him back to the small North Carolina town they both grew up in and to the quirky treehouse on the lake that is Elaine's family's home. Going home transports them back into the small community with its gossip and undercurrents. It means Elaine and Mick, Carson and Elaine's adult son, will have to face Carson's mother Greta, nearly blind but still holding a grudge against them, and that the past will surround them every show more step of the way at a time when they most need love and compassion.

Elaine and Mick haven't spoken to Greta in more than twenty years. The source of the rift is that Greta has never accepted Mick, believing, despite Carson's assurances to the contrary, that Mick is not Carson's son. Although her animosity towards this stubborn old woman hasn't waned, in the wake of her beloved Carson's death, Elaine tries to extend an olive branch to Greta, knowing that it is what Carson would have wanted. After all, she and Mick are all that remain of Greta's family. The one thing that she draws the line at though, is explaining the truth surrounding the rumors over Mick's paternity, insisting that that information was between she and Carson and not for public consumption. And although she wants to do the right thing by her mother-in-law, Elaine is still prickly, defensive, and struggling with forgiveness.

As Elaine is trying to negotiate a tentative truce with her mother-in-law, Mick is feeling rudderless and completely adrift. He's met a girl who used to idolize him when she was small but she's 18 and beautiful and as interested in him as ever now. As he wonders if he can pursue something with her, rumors from the past about an old girlfriend, Kayla, rise up to challenge him. Kayla, who was of mixed race and whose family was extremely poor, was his first great love but also the girl who made him face the worst of himself. Although she is long dead in a car accident, he is still coming to terms with the hurt he caused her and the reality of who he was then. That her sweet six year old little brother might in actual fact be her son instead of her brother has sent him reeling, questions about Kyle's paternity and his responsibilities adding to his uncertainty about his life and future.

Greta, mother-in-law and grandmother, so certain of her convictions, is fighting battles on many fronts. She is in a dispute with her neighbor over her land. He wants it so he can expand his alpaca operation and she has no desire to sell, not even entertaining a single thought for his continued offers. She is perfectly content living with her long-time friend Mattie, who is a sort of housekeeper, companion, and lately Greta's eyes as well. Having Mattie's family living in the guest homes out back means that Greta always has company and she doesn't have to look too closely at her determination to shun her daughter-in-law and only grandson. But then Mattie has a stroke and her family moves to town, and although they are concerned about Greta, Mattie is their more pressing concern, forcing Greta to entertain the notion of relying on Elaine and Mick.

Flipping between the past and the present, the narrative fills in Elaine and Carson's relationship and marriage, the foundation of the so many loving and now much mourned years, fleshing out Carson in a way that would only be possible through other characters' views if the entire novel took place after his death. Elaine, Mick, and Greta, as main characters are all sunk in their own grief but their faltering attempts to right their worlds in the wake of Carson's loss are realistic and human. They are each multi-faceted and their relationships with each other are complicated by history and feeling. The plot is intricate and Page weaves the many threads together deftly. Her writing is true, beautiful, and detailed and she has captured masterfully the deep ache of grief as it stands alongside continued living. Having tapped into a small town setting, she has placed her characters at the mercy of the secrets and gossip that have eaten at the edges of their lives for so many years. But with the whimsical treehouse above the lake, she has also given these characters a nest of imagination and uniqueness in which to find safety, forgiveness, and the ability to move forward with hope. Engrossing and frequently humorous, this compassionate look at living after a loved one's death amidst the tangle that family can be is a wonderful read. show less

”Now there was nothing to do. The empty stretch of hours ahead frightened her. She’d pledged till death, but it didn’t end there. Love didn’t end anywhere. It simply endured the absence of the beloved.”

Safe Within is a book about end of life issues, as Carson comes back home to North Carolina to live out his last weeks. No; this book is about widowhood, as Elaine struggles to live in a world with half of herself gone. No; this story is about a son who hasn’t found himself yet. show more No; this is about an elderly woman whose son has died, leaving her with decades of regrets. Yes, this novel is about family. A family real with love and hurts, memories and wishes, hope and heartache.

A lakeside treehouse in North Carolina is the unlikely abode built by Elaine’s father, and in which she grew up. It is there they return for peaceful lake view talks as time dwindles out. Now back in their old hometown, Carson’s mother comes for visits with her son, while still holding prejudices against her daughter-in-law and grandson.

Jean Reynolds Page offers a real slice of life in the pages of this book, presenting characters whole in their personae, in a setting vivid, with a story slow and captivating. Loved it. show less

A well written story with many layer to it. It seems each chapter pulls back a layer and the reader finds out a bit more information about this family. The characters are really well written and their struggles seem realistic. I liked the fact that not all characters have a happy ending. Life isn't like that so books shouldn't be either. There is a great mix of characters as well; some are young, some are middle aged, and some are elderly. My criticism of this book is that it is a bit drawn show more out. Some of the middle chapters could have been eliminated and the story would have flowed anyway. This book would bring about a great discussion for book clubs as it covers many family issues show less

In The Space Between Before and After, Jean Reynolds Page again tells a beautiful story about the intricacies of family and all the secrets and misunderstandings that go along with it. Holli Templeton, divorced and in her 40's, is living a simple life when she receives news that her 20-year-old son has dropped out of college with his girlfriend. The son, Connor, has chosen to move to Texas where he and his girlfriend, Killian, stay in a trailer behind his great-grandmother's home. Holli show more experiences mixed feelings as she wishes for Connor to return to school in Rhode Island, but feels comfort in knowing that he will help care for his great-grandmother, Raine. Then almost simultaneously, Holli starts to realize that Raine's health may have declined more than she realized, and a crisis involving Connor's girlfriend occurs. Holli is then drawn to Texas to care for both her son and her grandmother.

Throughout this journey of caring for both the generations before and after her own, Holli reflects on her childhood and how it came to be. Holli was raised from the age of 10 and on by her grandmother, Raine, due to the falling apart of her family after the death of her mother. Jean Reynolds Page alternates chapters between Holli's adult point of view and that of her childhood self, Holly Anne, to help unravel the complicated situation that led to the anger and resentment Holli has grown up with. It isn't until Holli spends time with her grandmother, trying to accept Raine's new found friendship with Holli's stepmother, Georgia, that Holli learns not everything was as it seemed to be when she grew up. Holli then has to decide if she'll allow herself to let go of past resentments or if it really doesn't make a difference.

At the same time as Holli is dealing with her past and caring for her grandmother, she ends up having to care for her son. Killian is a difficult "daughter-in-law" and Holli fears the effect Killian has on her son. Killian is a free spirit with an attitude. She has had to learn to look out for herself since both her parents died. Holli tries to overcome her dislike for Killian while still supporting Connor and his relationship. Strangely enough, Holli also feels the slight pull to be a mother to Killian as well, as they both share the commonality of losing their mothers when they were young.

This book was so superbly written. The characters were very well developed. (The author's notes in the back confirm that she knew much more about the characters than was even revealed in the book, and this just adds to their depth). The writing flowed so easily I swept past pages and pages, but I found myself wanting to slow down and savor the often profound character thoughts. This book was one of those wonderful finds that is both plot and character driven and one that can be reflected on in many ways. Highly recommended! show less