Review: "The Sound of Glass" by Karen White

Disclosure: This ARC ebook was provided to me via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Title: The Sound of Glass
Author: Karen White
Publisher: NAL
Pub. Date: May 12, 2015

The Sound of Glass is the latest from southern author Karen White, author of previous bestsellers including The Color of Light and Sea Change. Set in South Carolina, this book explores family secrets that will forever change a young widow's life.

Merritt Heyward has recently lost her firefighter husband when she is notified that she has inherited a house that belonged to her husband's grandmother. Merritt, looking to start a new life, moves from Maine to coastal South Carolina. This already difficult situation is made even worse by the arrival of her hated stepmother and her 10 year old half brother she has never known.

As Merritt begins to renovate the house, she uncovers numerous secrets about her husband's family that will have numerous long-reaching effects on her already complicated life. Will she ever be able to heal?

I have read and enjoyed most of White's previous novels, but this one completely blew me away! The Sound of Glass is not your average no-brainer "beach read" -- it deals with serious issues like domestic violence, phobias, and life-threatening illness, and death. However, it's not all gloom and doom. There is love, redemption, and hope, mystery, and even a hint of romance. The characters are likeable and the setting of Beaufort, SC is described in beautiful, luscious detail. White seemlessly weaves all of these elements into one amazing story.

As a southerner, I am a big fan of southern literature. I feel like Karen White is one of the best modern southern authors. She does a fantastic job of bringing her love of the coastal regions to life for her readers. She fully develops her characters, making them as real as possible, avoiding cliched southern stereotypes. There's no redneck guys with shotguns or delicate southern belles. She actually shows the people of the south as we truly are: educated, modern, and resilient.

The Sound of Glass is a perfect example of White's writing expertise and I highly recommend it!