Bette Nordberg's Genoa Bay ~ Reviewed

GENOA BAY
By Bette Nordberg
Published by Kregel
ISBN# 978-0-8254-6296-2
317 Pages


Back Cover:

Young widow Brandy Beauchamp inherits a bed and breakfast on Vancouver Island. It needs energy and commitment, but the beautiful, shabby property can be restored. Brandy moves to British Columbia and sets about building a new life—only to discover that a local property developer has very different plans, and very direct methods of persuasion…



REVIEW:

Brandy Beauchamp is overwrought by the news that her husband’s been killed in military action. Left to raise their daughter, Gabby, alone, Brandy feels disconnected and says, “Part of me felt like a purse left behind at a restaurant. Waiting for something to happen. Waiting for someone to come and claim me. Waiting to go home again.”

Brandy didn’t belong with the military crowd anymore, her friends didn’t get it. Then an unexpected phone call changes everything. Unexpected news—a dear friend, Maggie, leaves everything she owns to Brandy; it's a house she ran as a bed and breakfast resort. Brandy jumps at this chance for a new life, but soon discovers this place needs serious repair. Can she do this? Will it be worth it? Did she really hear from God on this?

Brandy’s childhood memory about Maggie, “As a teenager, when I first came to the house at Genoa Bay, I’d always believed that there were only two kinds of people, slobs and neat Knicks—you know the kind, the ones who alphabetize their spice cabinet. But when I met Maggie, I realized that there was also a third category. Maggie was meticulously clean in areas that mattered to her, and remarkably sloppy about things that didn’t.”

I felt compassion for Brandy as she struggled to find her place in the world again. Her daughter, Gabby, was adorable, honest and fun to read about. Brandy runs into unexpected difficulties she’s not sure she can handle. Cliff, who works for the marina near Brandy’s house, tries to lighten her load and be a friend.

The author discusses a wide range of topics in this book that I found intriguing and heart warming. One such topic is Brandy’s courage to live life and do what God’s called her to do, even though it was scary, and to stand firm and fight for what she believed in. It’s also a time of new beginnings for both Gabby and Brandy. A whole new world opens up to them, if they have the courage to walk in it. God says He is a lamp unto my feet, but I have to take the first step in order to see the next step I should take - which is the case with Brandy and life’s challenges. I enjoyed this story and I’m thankful for the review copy I received. I can’t wait to read more books by this author.


Reviewed by: Nora St. Laurent
ACFW Book Club Coordinator