👨👩👧👧 🏡 🌀 Hurricane Season 🌀 🏡👨👩👧👧 (2018) - Book Review
MY REVIEW
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 3,
2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 071808425X
ISBN-13: 978-0718084257
“Betsy
and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, have long
since buried their desire for children of their own. While Ty manages their
herd of dairy cows, Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations
and tries to forget her dream of motherhood. But when her free-spirited sister,
Jenna, drops off her two young daughters for “just two weeks,” Betsy’s
carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble.
As the
two weeks stretch deeper into the Alabama summer, Betsy and Ty learn to
navigate the new additions in their world—and revel in the laughter that now
fills their home. Meanwhile, record temperatures promise to usher in the most
active hurricane season in decades.
Attending
an art retreat four hundred miles away, Jenna is fighting her own battles. She
finally has time and energy to focus on her photography, a lifelong ambition.
But she wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit in with the life she’s
made back home as a single mom.
When
Hurricane Ingrid aims a steady eye at the Alabama coast, Jenna must make a
decision that will change her family’s future, even as Betsy and Ty try to
protect their beloved farm and their hearts.”
Having been introduced to Lauren K. Denton’s third book “Glory Road” earlier this year, my mother gave me the author’s two previous novels for my birthday.
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| [Hurricane Season (2018) & The Hideaway (2017) both by Lauren K Denton] |
“Hurricane Season” is
Lauren K. Denton’s second book. It is a Southern Romance novel. Like “The
Hideaway” and “Glory Road”, it is a standalone read.
The story is told from
three POVs – Jenna, Betsy, and Ty (Betsy’s husband).
Betsy and Ty Franklin are
the owners of Franklin Dairy. Ty tends the cows and Betsy handles the day to
day operations. Approaching 30, Betsy has given up having her own children due
to repeated issues in conception.
Betsy’s younger sister
Jenna; is a single mom to two daughters – Addie (5) and Walsh (3). Jenna is
working at a coffee shop to support herself and her children.
Jenna gets an opportunity
to pursue her lifelong ambition (photography) at a retreat – but she has to
find someone to care for her daughters for two weeks. That’s where Betsy comes
in. Reluctantly, Betsy says yes – it is only two weeks.
Jenna is having her own
crisis at the retreat. After being given a rare opportunity to stay longer than
the original two (2) weeks and work on her photography, she wonders if she
should stay or rush home. She wants to have something to show for her life and
feels she won’t get another chance to do something like this again.
Jenna misses her children who seem to be adjusting well with Betsy and Ty. But, she isn’t being told the entire story either. Betsy is having issues in dealing with “two little reminders of what my body can’t do”. A very powerful line in this novel. And, that puts a strain on Betsy and Ty’s marriage.
Jenna misses her children who seem to be adjusting well with Betsy and Ty. But, she isn’t being told the entire story either. Betsy is having issues in dealing with “two little reminders of what my body can’t do”. A very powerful line in this novel. And, that puts a strain on Betsy and Ty’s marriage.
As weeks drag out, and a
hurricane makes its way towards the farm – Ty, Betsy, and Jenna have to sort
out what they want in life and what their choices will mean.
“Hurricane Season” not
only refers to the storm season and the approaching storm, but the storms in
our personal lives – choices to make, lives affected, and the consequences of
such.
Jenna undoubtedly wants
to do more with her life than “serve coffee”, but she also has two small
children who rely on her. She leaves her children with her sister without
advance notice or discussing the impact it would have on her sister as well as
Ty. True Jenna didn’t have much notice – but it should’ve been discussed more
thoroughly with her sister. I also feel that Betsy should’ve been more honest
with her sister throughout the story.
Betsy isn’t quite 30 when
the story begins and has been trying to have children since she was 25. Seeing
and caring for Jenna’s children, brings out some resentment which is
understandable to a point, considering Jenna didn’t want kids. If I can be
honest, 30 isn’t that old. Some women have kids in their late 30’s to mid 40’s.
Ty’s frustration was
understandable. He knew the infertility issues his wife was having. His primary
goal was to protect Betsy. He wasn’t good at communicating what he wanted
either. He was wonderful in interacting with the kids though.
I felt sorry for Addie
and Walsh. They adored their mother and didn’t understand what was going on.
Max and Gregory …
I felt that while Max was
looking out for Jenna and her talent, he was failing to understand that she was
the kids’ only caregiver. What did he expect her to do with her kids while she
spent even two weeks at Halcyon? What if her sister decided to say no?
Gregory was another
problem – like Max, he was only focused on Jenna’s talent – not her
responsibilities. The two guys saw nothing wrong with pawning the kids off on
Jenna’s sister, and by extension Jenna saw nothing wrong with it either.
Denton did a wonderful
job with creating family strife as well as the impact of indecisions on our
lives, and how it affects those around us. She definitely drove home the point
about it appears selfish when we follow dreams/goals, but also about how we
should think about more in life than “just making ends meet”.
Can we fit what we want
into what we need? Is pursuing a “dream job” with “the potential” to earn more
money worth sacrificing family, and a job that does pay the bills? At one point
is it alright to make decisions with others in mind? Or should we only consider
ourselves.
As a fan of Denton’s
“Glory Road”, I wanted to read her previous work. This is admittedly the
weakest of the three books she has released. It wasn’t a bad read, but it
wasn’t as enjoyable as the other two.
3 ⭐⭐⭐/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born and
raised in Mobile, Alabama, Lauren K. Denton now lives with her husband and two
daughters in Homewood, just outside Birmingham. In addition to her fiction, she
writes a monthly newsletter column about life, faith, and how funny (and hard)
it is to be a parent. On any given day, she’d rather be at the beach with her
family and a stack of books. The Hideaway was her highly
acclaimed and USA Today bestselling debut novel.
You can
follow her on the following social media accounts:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurenKDenton
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