The Ruby of the Sea
By
Peggy Lampman
There is nothing more precious than the love that families share with each other.  That love is often challenged with life, events, and secrets that bend that love to almost breaking.   Ms. Lampman has written a book that challenges the Chandler family to the very core.   It's an emotionally heart wrenching family drama about three sisters, Linnea and Delphina who are twins, and their younger sister, Ivy.  Each one with secrets that they hold so close inside they lose their bonds of sistership.  What are these secrets and why are they so difficult to share?  This book takes you into the depths of the issues and your heart with it. 

Linnea returns home to her family in Key West, Florida from being away for 15 years.  Her family is far from the idyllic, perfect "Cleaver" family and is more to the dysfunctional end of the spectrum but they need her home so she returns.  This is where the secrets, lies, deceit, painful pasts, and injured feelings start to unravel.  Ms. Lampman took me into each of the character's lives in a very personal and intimate way.  I felt for each one and her struggles.  The story unfolds in chapters that rotate between the three sisters.  It's a poignant story and written so that my heart felt each sister's hurts and anguish of what they were going through. 

The setting of the story in Key West, Florida in telling this story was perfect.  I've never been to Florida, let alone Key West but I have a vivid impression in my mind of a virtual visit from the great descriptive writing.   I loved the historical lighthouse setting that the family runs a B&B out of.  The Maiden Tower plays a crucial part in Ivy's story.  The Foghorn House and Lightkeeper's Quarters are "home" for the family.  The mystery surrounding the history of the grounds and stories were intriguing.  Especially the mystery of the original lighthouse keeper's daughter, Rossalea, and the parallel with Ivy's story in the book.   Then add an impending, historic hurricane into the scenario.  How would such devastation change a family and would it bring the family together or tear them apart like the destruction of the hurricane?  My emotions were so all over the place in this book.  I  became a part of the family and experienced their hurts and emotions as I turned the pages.

This is a very well written family drama that addresses the issues of mental illness, family dysfunction and what the effects are to a family.  I want to thank Peggy Lampman for writing such a heart tugging novel.  I am so grateful for the ARC copy and the honor of reading this book.  This is my own, heart felt review of this wonderful book.