Lyn Cote's Carly~Reviewed

Carly
By Lyn Cote
Published by Warner Faith
ISBN 0-446-69436-3

Carly Leigh Sinclair is tired of being afraid, and she is tired of secrets. Plagued by nightmares resulting from a traumatic childhood incident in which she was kidnapped and held hostage, Carly decides to go against her mother’s strong objections and join the army, wanting to know if she “has what it takes.” This rebellious act adds stress to her already troubled relationship with her mother, Leigh, whose refusal to reveal the truth about Carly’s biological father has driven a wedge between the two.

As Carly struggles to survive basic training and the abuse of a fellow recruit and eventually finds herself flying to Kuwait to be a part of Desert Shield and Desert Storm, she wrestles with issues of faith and family, finds herself falling in love and discovers that she has more courage than she realized.

The author did a fine job capturing my emotions. I found myself rooting for Carly as she fought her way through basic training, fearful for her as she went to war and then sobbing over the last few chapters which were full of heartache and loss, happy reunions and restored relationships.

“Carly” is the last book in Lyn Cote’s “The Women of Ivey Manor” series, which chronicles the stories of four generations of women: Chloe, the family’s matriarch, her daughter Bette, granddaughter Leigh and great-granddaughter Carly. The series follows the women from the early twentieth century and the Depression, on through World War II, The Civil Rights and Women’s movements of the sixties, and finally Operations Desert Shield and Storm.

Reviewed by Janet Rubin
http://www.janetswritingplanet.blogspot.com/