Caroline, Adrift

by Kay Bratt

[Jeff Sexton]

Another Strong Family Tale From Bratt. This is yet another tale where Bratt uses elements of her own life and where she is in life to craft a fiction tale that explores deep issues in a serious yet also light-ish manner. Here yet again she shows great love for her youngest daughter's adopted home of Hawaii and shows that having family thousands of miles away can still result in close bonds - if efforts are made. But the main story is of a woman facing the all-too-real scenario faced by so many women nearing or above Senior Citizen Discount age: what happens when you lose your partner of decades? This is the main thrust of the story, and Bratt does a tremendous job of exploring this scenario, particularly as it also relates to having adult children with their own lives, through the course of this sub-150 page novella. Packing quite a bit here, it is often forgettable just how short this story is - while it reads quick due to its actual length, Bratt manages to have *so much happen* that it "feels" like it could have had an extra 50-100 pages. In other words, don't let the short actual page count fool you - this is a complete tale, just one without the filler and perhaps extra drama of an actually longer tale. And for those familiar with Bratt's real-life work rescuing dogs and particularly Yorkies... yes, a Yorkie also appears here. :D Ultimately a strong tale filled with great topical exploration... and more drama than ever happens on any of *my* cruises. :D Very much recommended.