The Shadow Wife

I'm surprised I had not heard of this one and I'm glad I bought it. One of my top favs of her books, along with Silent Sister and Dream Daughter. I believe all are stand alone books although someone mentioned Shadow Wife and 2 other related books, I was unable to find them. Cypress Point appears to be the same book.

Joelle D’Angelo’s best friend, Mara, is left with brain damage after she suffers an aneurysm giving birth to her son. Alone and grieving, Joelle turns to the only other person who understands her pain: her colleague—and Mara’s husband—Liam. What starts out as comfort between friends gradually becomes something more…something undeniable. Torn by guilt and the impossibility of her feelings for Liam, Joelle sets out determined to find help for Mara, no matter how unconventional the source. Her search leads her to a remote mansion in Monterey, California, and into the life of a woman shrouded in mystery. Carlynn Kling Shire is a healer who, according to Joelle’s parents, saved Joelle’s life when she was an infant. As Joelle is guided down an unfamiliar path by a woman keeping her own shocking secrets, she discovers that while some love is doomed, some love is destined to survive.My Thoughts:The Shadow Wife is a story of love, loss, and secrets that come together to form a kind of healing. Our story is narrated in the past and the present, and we soon realize that much has been hidden, but there will be revelations by the very end.I was drawn to the Big Sur setting and the commune where it all began for some of the characters. Especially for Carlynn Kling, the “healer,” and for Joelle, whose life was saved in that very commune.I could not stop turning the pages, waiting to see what would finally happen to them all. A 4.5 book that brought closure for this reader.

This story utilizes one of my favorite elements in writing. On the surface it is the story of two women--their lives, their loves, and their heartbreak. Their story lines are parallel at first, but then are intertwined and there is MUCH more to them and the story than meets the eye. There is the story of Joelle D'Angelo,who loves her work as a social worker in the Maternity ward at a hospital, but who has struggled for more than five years with her marriage and conceiving a child. It appears that Joelle really has more of a life at the hospital than at home. She sets up her best friend, Mara with a fellow doctor at the hospital Liam. Mara, Liam, and Joelle become a family in a lot of ways. When Mara suffers an an anerysm giving birth to her son Sam, both Joelle and Liam are devastated--each throwing themselves whole-heartedly into Mara's care and when it becomes apparent Mara will not improve, finding the best nursing home for her and the best care for Sam. Understandably, this brings Liam and Joelle closer together and in a moment of weakness and need, Joelle and Liam sleep together and Joelle becomes pregnant. Joelle of course is overjoyed because a baby is what she's always wanted, but she's cautious and apprehensive, too because she knows that Liam is very committed to Mara, and the guilt he feels about betraying Mara is almost too much to bear.But wait...there's more......Carlynn and Lisbeth are twins that grew up privledged in Cypress Point/Big Sur California. At a very early age, it becomes apparent that Carlynn is a is a metaphysical "healer" of sorts and obviously the golden child, (the girls' mother, Delora having made it abundantly clear that there is only room in her life for one child. So, it is Carlynn that goes to medical school and enjoys many more of the good things life has to offer. Lisbeth must be content with a much lesser education and a much rockier path in life. But, we must never discount the bond between sisters. Carlynn works at a Monterey hospital during the 1950's and 60's secretly healing people. She meets and marries fellow doctor Alan Shire and together they embark on groundbreaking medical research and ways to try to teach other doctors Carlynn's talent.One weekend, Carlynn is called to a commune to help a friend in need, she ends of staying a while and helps out at a particularly difficult birth, the birth is that of Joelle D' Angelo.Years later, Joelle and Carlynn's paths converge again when she Joelle asks for Carlynn's help with Mara. Liam is not happy with this intrusion, and, Joelle herself is skeptical--but both parties have lost their vibrant best friend so anything is worth a try.Diane Chamberlain is a fairly new author to me having only read one other book of hers. She is a welcome addition to my list of favorite women's literature, fiction author's. The setting of this story was beautiful, the characters so real and flawed and likable that it was easy for me to be swept up and taken for the ride.

Diane Chamberlain does it again! In this beautiful tale of lost souls she captures the heart and mind of healers. Whether you believe or not, this story wants you to ask the question. Do you believe that certain individuals have this special gift? As for me.....

I enjoyed this book. This is primarily the story of identical twin sisters, Carlynn and Lisbeth, and Joelle, who is connected to Carlynn by the circumstances of her birth. The story of Carlynn and Lisbeth moves back and forth in time, and that is the part of the book that most interested me.The story of Joelle, however, is an intriguing one, as the her best friend, Mara, had an aneurysm while giving birth to her son, leaving her severely brain damaged and confined to a nursing home. Mara's husband, Liam, is left to grieve for a wife who can no longer be a wife to him in any true sense, while Joelle grieves for both Mara and Liam.As Joelle and Liam comfort each other in their grief, the inevitable follows, bringing with it unrelenting guilt that threatens to tear their friendship apart. When Joelle, in a hail Mary attempt to help Mara, turns to Carlynn, who is well known as a healer, only then does the road to recovery becomes clear to all, as secrets from the past and present spill forth.I loved most of the book. The author did her research and captured the feel of past decades, which is why I most enjoyed the story about Carlynn and Lisbeth. I was just not wild about the ending, though it was definitely full of twists and turns. This is why I rated it four stars rather than five.

This is a lovely, interesting, engaging book. The story is great, and really pulled me in.Told in dual time, we hear about the dilemma faced by Joelle. Joelle’s best friend Mara suffered a severe brain injury. In the aftermath of this, Joelle spent a lot of time with Mara’s husband Liam. But Joelle has accidentally fallen in love with Liam, and this is further complicated by an equally-accidental pregancy. We also hear about twins Carlynn and Lisbeth, growing up a generation before Joelle.The story twisted around – but in a reasonably predictable way (ie I guessed the twists). However it didn’t detract at all from the story and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. I’m generally a fan of Diane Chamberlain, but there are definitely some which are great reads and others which are just good reads. This is up there as one of the really good ones.

Another enjoyable read from this author. The dilemma is set up well; it's difficult to see the way out for Liam and Joelle, and their story is sensitively told. Diane Chamberlain is fast becoming a favourite on my bookshelf.I was just very disappointed with the kindle formatting for this book - there were many paragraph breaks missing, which meant for example that conversations were sometimes very hard to follow, without the conventions of a new paragraph for each change of speaker. I would expect more from a professionally published book!

I have now read all of D C's books and this one doesn't disappointment. I love the way she links characters and themes together but also keeps back little surprises throughout her stories. This book is a delight to read albeit it is based on the reality of how tough life becomes following tragedy. I, like many reviewers do not want to give the story away so will simply say - like all of her novels, it is a must read. Please DC - keep writing.

This was the second book that I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it, in fact I couldn't put it down. There are two main stories that are being told (with a few minor ones in the back ground), one in the present day and one starting in the 1960's, that eventually come together. It is the story of the traumatic birth of Joelle on a commune in 1967 and how she was 'brought back to life' by a healer called Carlynn. We then jump forward to the present day and the life of the adult Joelle, who's best friend Mara suffered an aneurysm whilst giving birth leaving her brain dead. Mara's husband Liam and Joelle are devastated and whilst consoling each other end up spending the night together and Joelle becomes pregnant.The story goes back and forth between Joelle's birth and present and introduces you to many likable characters and tells the stories of not only Joelle, but Carlynn the healer, Liam and Joelle's parents. There a few twists and turns along the way with a great twist at the end!I found this to be a great read and couldn't put it down! Would happily recommend this book

This story is about a women who works with her best friend's husband. Unfortunately her best friend has brain damage and no longer able to function normally. The story is also about a healer who saves this woman's life at birth. The action goes back and forth between them and they meet up in the present when the healer is an old lady. The dilemma's the people face seem real and the story unfolds so keeps the interest throughout. Recommended.