One of the many advantages of working in a library is being exposed to new books as soon as they are available. A book which recently appeared on the "New Fiction" shelf is Safe Harbor by Luanne Rice, which was published by Bantam Books. Rice may be remembered by readers for a previous novel, Follow the Stars Home, which was made into a Hallmark movie for television. Other popular novels by Rice include Firefly Beach and Cloud Nine.

The main character in Safe Harbor is Dana Underhill, who is an artist known for painting ocean scapes and who has spent much of her life traveling around the world. At the beginning of the novel Dana has come back to Hubbard’s Point, Connecticut after a tragic sailing accident which has claimed the lives of her sister Lily and Lily’s husband. There is a question of the circumstances which caused the accident since Lily and her husband had both been proficient sailors. Dana’s life changes drastically as she attempts to assume responsibility for Lily’s two bereaved daughters, Quinn and Allie, who are struggling to come to terms with their parents’ deaths.

Sam Trevor is an old friend of Dana’s who is a Yale professor of marine biology. He has always had a romantic interest in Dana which he begins to pursue more seriously after her return to Hubbard’s Point.

Once the framework for the story is in place, the plot begins to twist and turn through the lives of Dana and Sam. As they become emotionally involved, they are challenged with attempting to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths of Lily and her husband. There are also the difficulties of attempting to parent two girls who are grieving and trying to figure out why their own parents had made the choices they made which led to their own tragic deaths.

Rice’s ability as an author is apparent in Safe Harbor. Her vivid use of vocabulary helps the reader to feel connected to both the characters and the events. When the characters are sailing the reader almost feels the lull of the ocean waves along the side of the boat.

This book may have been more compelling if it had been shorter. At times, the emotional turmoil of the characters seems to be repetitious and overbearing. However, the book is well written and good reading for anyone who enjoys stories about families in conflict with a strong dose of romance.

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Highland County, OH