A Little Ray of Sunshine

"The familiar surge of anger and love for her teenage son stabbed at her. Her boy, her beautiful, precious son, had not included her in one of the most important moments of his life. The little sh*t."“Thank God for you, Harlow,” Mom would sigh once in a while. “I never have to spare you a thought.” It might have been a compliment."In this, her 23rd book, Kristan returns to Wellfleet, Massachusetts (a real place) the setting of Out of the Clear Blue Sky. This is not the first time that she has set more than one book in the same town and consequently, we have had the pleasure of catching up with some old acquaintances.This book was terrific and, In my opinion, even better than OOTCBS. The romance took more of center stage in this one, though the book is not a romance book. I liked the guy better. It seemed like there was more to him and he seemed more important to the story. With its many strands, this one dug deeper, had many more layers, and though funny, not so comical (not that the former book did not have its serious side.) We are treated to one of the hilariously disastrous blind dates that Kristan seems to include in most of her books. Poor Harlow.“How about you?” I asked. “What do you like to read?” “I’m not much of a reader,” he said. So he was dead inside. Got it.No, not a reader, but he is a talented poet. On his ex-wife:Pete cleared his throat. “ ‘You ruined my life. I thought you’d be my forever wife.’ ” Definitely should’ve asked to record it. “ ‘But you brought me strife. Like a sharp and hacking knife. Cutting through my heart. Instead of cherishing it like a piece of art. And pierced it with a dart.’ ” He glanced at me to see if I was paying attention. I was. “ ‘You are still in my head. But now I dream of you dead.’ ” I almost cracked on the last line, but kept my expression neutral. After all, the serial killer odds had skyrocketed.Lately, Kristan has been centering her books around big dramatic topics including morbid obesity and body dysmorphia, terminal illness, infidelity, and dissolution of long-term happy marriages. Toxic or almost toxic parenting has always been a mainstay. In this, she tackles adoption. It was an education. I never really gave a lot of thought to how giving up a child for adoption could be so emotionally devastating for such a long time. Even if it is the best and wisest decision for the good of all concerned, as it usually is. And how the love and connection can endure. The challenges of being an adopted child are explored as well, though not in the depth that the mothers’ are explored. If the adoptive parents are wonderful and loving and in an optimal financial situation, there can still be troubles. At first, all of the feelings seemed a little over the top, but Kristan did her research.The primary voice in this novel is that of Harlow, a 35-year-old single bookstore owner who gave her baby up for adoption when she was 17. Her dream comes true when he finds her and wants to get to know her. She is ecstatic. Not so ecstatic are his adoptive parents, Monica and Sanjay Patel. Although they have always been open and supportive of their son one day finding his birth mother (with whom they once had a mutually loving relationship), they are blindsided by the situation, thanks to their son Matthew’s typically teenage thoughtlessness in how he goes about reconnecting. But as the Patels and Harlow and her family get to know each other everything goes fairly smoothly. Of course, there are hiccups and stormy waters. Harlow’s parents are angry and hurt that she has kept her son a secret all these years.“Mom. Dad. I did what I thought was right for my baby. If you can’t respect that, well, maybe you’re not who I thought you were. Addison and Nicole, if all you care about is Esme being the oldest, you won’t lay eyes on my boy. Grandpop, Robbie and Winnie . . . you’ve been great.”“Maybe you’re not who we thought you were, either, Harlow,” Dad said. “And who did you think I was, Dad? Huh?” My voice was loud, and I felt hot all over. “Mom? Who was I in this family? Your unpaid nanny? Aside from me being the helpful one, I was . . . nothing. I was barely there....Grandpop stood up, his knees popping. “Harlow is a wonderful person,” he said. “She did her best under very difficult circumstances. If she chose not to take her problems to us, well, maybe we need to do some soul-searching.Indeed some soul-searching is called for on their part, which they do. One of the almost too many themes is how one’s place and role in family affects your life and decisions. Grandpop is a delight and the source of much of the humor in this book. And I love how his incipient dementia is handled by his family and friends. There are many side characters, each deftly drawn, including Harlow’s siblings, her loyal best friend, Rosie, Grandpop’s girlfriend Frances, and Grady and his daughter Luna. Not to mention the dog. Yes, all goes pretty well as Matthew, his Mom and Dad, and his precocious sister Meena spend the summer in Wellfleet. After everyone involved is civilized, educated, and goodhearted. Until Matthew drops a bomb on his family and Harlow too this time, towards the end of vacation when it’s time to go home to California.Harlow’s perspective is alternated with Monica’s point of view and also a 50-something distant cousin, Cynthia, who is part owner of the bookstore and was also adopted.Cynthia gives an alternate perspective on adoption. Although she loved her adoptive mother and father and they loved her, she would have been a happier and better person had she been able to be raised by her birth parents. I hated going to her viewpoint because she was just so nasty and unpleasant until about the halfway point when some interesting changes started to happen in her life. Every time it came to Cynthia’s part in the tale, It made me tense up. Could Cynthia’s section have been left out of this 500+ page novel? Maybe. But her story provided a good bit of tension and suspense. And ultimately her character arc was heartwarming as well as providing another thought-provoking adoption experience.Monica is in the high-tension Internet Security field and the main breadwinner of the two-income Patel family allowing them to have a very affluent lifestyle. But it has resulted in an imbalance in their marriage and a lot of stress and pressure on Monica. She and Sanjay are very happily married, but Sanjay is the laid back “fun parent” and Monica is the enforcer. I love how things are finally righted, both in her marriage and her career. Female empowerment is alive and well. It is through Monica that we gain most of the insight into Matthew’s character. Although he is mostly a good kid and will turn out fine, we know early on he is not exactly “ a Ray of Sunshine”.Of course, I have some quibbles. Although But it did move the story and the drama forward, I was very disappointed in how Harlow handled the crisis at the end of the book. (view spoiler)I’m just speaking objectively because, bottom line, If the book had been twice as long, I still would have enjoyed every page. I just love her stories and her writing.Perhaps addiction will be her next big topic and the previously mentioned character will feature in that one. Pure speculation, but I wouldn’t be a bit surprised. I would return to Wellfleet in a heartbeat.

Okay. I tried. I really, truly did. I even did the slow-down move Meg Ryan’s character does in ‘You’ve Got Mail’. You know the one, she comes down the stairs, about to meet the man she’s been emailing back and forth with. She does a little ‘jog’, then put her hands down by her side, as if saying slow down, don’t hurry.That was me as I voraciously read Kristan Higgins’Little Ray of Sunshine’. I came out of my book fog, and saw that I was nearly at the end of this beautiful, and beautifully told, story.Author Kristan Higgins has done it again. Her books will make you laugh, cry, feel the emotions we all share. Her characters are lifelike. Wonderful, funny, heart wrenchingly authentic and yes, even flawed, just as all human beings are.The dynamics of family relationships is brought to life in every one of the characters in ’A Little Ray of Sunshine’. Do yourself a solid. Run, don’t walk, to purchase/borrow from a friend or a library, this book. It’s wonderful. Thank you Kristan Higgins. You’ve done it again! I’ll remember these characters and their stories for a very, very long time. You grabbed my heart, touched my soul, and made me ever grateful that I discovered your books, once upon a time, in our town library. I am a lifelong fan.I only have one request. Promise that you will never stop writing.

There is a reason Ms. Higgins is one of my favorite authors.I just loved, loved this story about families and what makes them so great. The characters are all so well constructed and believable.The storyline and the flow are so well written that I fell in love with all of them and want to be part of their lives.I grew up in Maine and though I live in the Midwest, I still think of the Northeast as my home. I miss the smell and sound of the ocean and walking along the shore finding little surprises buried in the sand.I must say that I don't very often find myself moved to tears, but the lovely ending to this story brought fears to my eyes.

When Kristan Higgins introduces us to three women in her latest book, she gives us a basic sketch of Harlow, Monica and Cynthia. Of course, Higgins takes us on their journey of self-discovery and creates complex characters that we come to understand, admire and love. We learn that adoption has many facets, twists and turns. Parenthood and relationships create a little ray of sunshine in what can be a storm as the characters navigate what motherhood, adoption, and the consequences of choices shape their lives. Higgins has clearly researched adoption and the teenage mindset. Super Moms are real (we are all Super Moms), but sometimes our capes get tangled up in day to day life. And laundry.My only complaint is that I would have liked to spend more time with Harlow's friend, Grady. Who wouldn't?

I loved this book, which covers a lot of ground concerning adoption, from the viewpoints of the birth mother, the adopting parents, and the adopted children. While the book focuses on Harlow, Matthew, and the Patels, there is a secondary story concerning Cynthia, whose experiences and viewpoints as an adopted child are very different from Matthew's. Ms. Hogging does a remarkable job exploring all these different experiences. Bravo!My only concern is the revelation that Destiny, a worker in the bookstore, transitioned from a male to a female. This is revealed on page 418, and is not brought up again! Why was this sex change mentioned at all? I seems irrelevant to the story.

What a book! The family dynamics were wonderful. It made me laugh. It made me cry. The main characters in this book are three completely different women. Cindy starts out as a total stick in the mud character. Not a very happy person. Monica is a woman used to being in control and when some of her control leaves her, she is very much at odds. Harlow has spent her life aching for the one thing she gave away. Kristan couldn’t have written a better book.

I enjoyed this book, however, it did give me some concerns. Are most adoptive children really left with huge psychological problems re. being adopted? Do they all want to find their birth parents as the book seems to state? My experience is not so. We have 2 adopted children in my family, my sister's children, now adults and I have 2 friends who have also adopted children. Certainly, with regards to my niece and nephew, they were never treated any differently from any other of the children in our family, they were welcomed and loved: both were adopted as babies and both were told that they were adopted when they were young.In the book we have Matthew, the adopted child of Monica and Sanjay. He is nearly 18, spoilt, manipulative and over compensated for the fact that he's adopted and immature. It is correct what his younger sister says of him later in the book. A few weeks from his 18th birthday, when his adoption records would be opened and he could legally find his birth mother if he wished, he actually descends on 35 year old Harlow, his birth mother, in her bookstore, without first contacting her or speaking to his adoptive parents. Harlow faints. Harlow got pregnant at 17, purely by accident, birth control had been used, but obviously failed. Her so-called boyfriend is horrified and accuses her of getting pregnant on purpose to trap him and tells her that he will pay for the abortion. Harlow decides to have the baby and choose a couple to adopt her baby (something that is done in the USA). Out of 100 applicants Harlow chooses Monica and Sanjay because they obviously love each other and are natural with each other. Harlow doesn't tell anyone about the pregnancy except her friend Rosie. However, giving up her baby is incredibly hard for her and really traumatises her from then on. She doesn't believe that she is worthy of a happy relationship or children and draws back from every chance of a meaningful relationship.Then we have 61 year old Cynthia, a sort of cousin of Harlow's family and the goddaughter of Grandpop. As it turns out Cynthia is also adopted, but is perfectly happy with that. She loved her adoptive parents and was perfectly content. However, Cynthia is a really dreadful, unlikable person, Bought up by an incredibly snobby adoptive mother, who taught Cynthia to believe that she was superior to everyone else, she looks down upon her "cousins", is bitter, jealous and also a thief.I did enjoy the book on the whole, a good read.

Kristan never starys from her own brand, mixing humor and feelings, and important social issues, too: when in her latest novels she dealt with mental illness, with death-causing medical conditions and the psychologial implications of getting on their own feet after a nasty divorce after a long marriage, in "A little Ray of Sunshine" the main characters deal with adoption: Matthew is the adopted kid, on the verge of turning 18; Harlow, the main character, is his birth mother, who gotten pregnant at 17 and decided for adoption, wanting to give her son the most stable and complete family possible, who, twenty years later, still deals with the emotional repercussions of her choice, still feeling guilty and sure she doesn't deserve love in her life- and a family of her own.Kristan makes room also for Monica- the adoptive mother, who both cherishes and hates harlow at the same time, seeing her as her son's new toy but also the woamn- the child- who gave her the most important thing on her life, the one thing she and her husband missed and couldn't have on their own - and Cynthya; a distant relative of Harlow, now in her sixties, she had been adopted as a newborn from an orphanage, and deals with meeting her real family for the first time late in life- and with them, she understands who she should really be.An emotional rollercoaster, with a lot of deep feelings, but never saccarose, and yet, Kristan Higgins always delives smiles with her books, books about women who deal with real, deep, life altering issues and that, under the facade of the idillyc palces they are set in, talk to the heart about the most important and difficult decisions in one's life.