Lisa Wingate: The Sea Keeper’s Daughters

By Kelly Bridgewater

Back Cover Copy:

From Amazon

From modern-day Roanoke Island to the sweeping backdrop of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and Roosevelt’s WPA folklore writers, past and present intertwine to create an unexpected destiny.

Restaurant owner Whitney Monroe is desperate to save her business from a hostile takeover. The inheritance of a decaying Gilded Age hotel on North Carolina’s Outer Banks may provide just the ray of hope she needs. But things at the Excelsior are more complicated than they seem. Whitney’s estranged stepfather is entrenched on the third floor, and the downstairs tenants are determined to save the historic building. Searching through years of stored family heirlooms may be Whitney’s only hope of quick cash, but will the discovery of an old necklace and a Depression-era love story change everything?

My Thoughts:

I have never read anything by Lisa Wingate, but the synopsis for the story sounded interested. I couldn’t wait to jump in and read the story of Whitney and her search for the truth of her family. Wingate is a great writer, who captures many reader’s attention with her story. Her contemporary novel deals with issues that readers could relate to and draw them into the plot of the story.

For someone who is a fan of mysteries and suspense stories, the idea of reading letters from the past and trying to figure out the mysteries from the past captured my action-driven thirst in a story. But as I read this story, it really did not capture my attention. The letters were long and I personally felt like the story went on and on.  There was some mystery and Whitney uncovered the letters and tried to piece together her families past; the plot was very slow moving.

While Wingate does a great job at using the dialogue to move the story forward, her use of prose really did not enhance the story. There were moments where Whitney was talking to someone, and she would drift off into a page or more of internal dialogue. If this was real life, the person she was talking to might have waved their hand in front of her face and accuse her of spacing off. But that never happened. The other people just moved on in the conversation liked Whitney didn’t drift off, allowing her thoughts to overtake her.

Wingate’s story world came to life for me. She did a great job at creating the world with the elaborate hotel and all the treasures on the second floor. I enjoyed hunting through all the treasure with Whitney and learning the history about all the objects.

In short, Lisa Wingate is a great master at using contemporary issues to draw her readers into her plot, but for me, the story moved really, really slow, and I couldn’t wait to finish the book to move onto the next one.  Fans of her past work might enjoy this book.

I received a complimentary copy of The Seakeeper’s Daughters from Tyndale Publishing through Netgalley and the opinions stated are all my own.

From Amazon

Lisa Wingate’s Writing Bio:

Lisa Wingate is a former journalist, inspirational speaker, and the author of over twenty mainstream fiction novels, including the national bestseller, Tending Roses, now in its nineteenth printing. She is a seven-time ACFW Carol award nominee, a Christy Award nominee, an Oklahoma Book Award finalist, and a two-time Carol Award winner. Her novels are known for taking on gritty subjects while offering redemptive and uplifting themes. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. 

Where to connect with Lisa Wingate:

Personal Website

Facebook

Where to purchase The Seakeeper’s Daughters:

Amazon

Barnes and Nobles

Christianbook

Your local Favorite Bookstore