Chasing happiness and finding joy are two very different things–as Jaynie Highsmith has discovered. Can she give up searching for the one and reclaim the other? Or is she fated to repeat the mistakes her mother made? Jaynie Highsmith grows up in Cub Creek on Hope Road acutely aware of the irony of its name, Hope, because she wants nothing more than to escape from it and the chaos of her … chaos of her childhood. Desperate to leave her past behind and make a new life, she is determined to become the best version of herself she can create. But when she does take off, she also leaves ~ and forgets ~ important parts of her past and herself.
The new life is everything she wants, or so she thinks until she finds herself repeating the same mistakes her mother made. Is Jaynie destined for unhappiness? Is it like mother, like daughter? Did running away only delay the unhappiness she fears she is destined for?
Seventeen years after leaving home, Jaynie needs a new fresh start and returning to Cub Creek is critical, but she promises herself that the visit will be as short as possible and then she’ll be out and free again. However, a longer stay may be vital to her future because if she has any hope of changing her destiny, Jaynie must reconcile the past she turned her back on with her present.
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I truly didn’t want this story to end. Author Grace Greene has a special way with words. From the moment I began reading, I knew I was in for a heartwarming and tissue grabbing story. Jaynie Highsmith has a life full of ups and downs. Her inner heartbreak tugged at my soul. Each part of the story reminds me how we can choose to let our past define us or we can choose a better way. A truly remarkable story. I received a complimentary copy of the book. No review was required.
I loved A Light Last Seen by Grace Greene. The story of Jaynie, her difficult childhood, the love and acceptance she found with Ruth was heartwarming. The fantastic, down-to-earth, relatable characters are hallmarks of Grace Greene’s books and really made the story for me.
This is a story of struggle, starting over, forgiving oneself and others and much more. I was pulled into this story immediately and just couldn’t wait to find out how it was going to end.
If you enjoy women’s fiction, family sagas / drama and journeys of self-exploration, this author’s books and A Light Last Seen are definitely for you.
Thank you to the author for an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own and happily given because this book is a winner, in my opinion.
What a beautiful story! It will definitely be on my favorites list of Grace Greene’s books. I was definitely invested in these characters from Ruth; the wise woman with all kinds of life lessons to share to Jayne who stores these little lessons in her “toolbox” and her family that is broken and needs a little light to shine through. A lot of surprises along these pages with love, humor and finding happiness. I love the dragonfly references. Dragonflies are symbols meant to bring strength and courage for the journey. Thanks to the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Jaynie grew up in chaotic home but she was lucky to have a neighbor to guide her . So well written you are right there with her in Cub Creek growing up. After 17 years she’s headed home. And it won’t disappoint. Another great book by Grace Greene.
A lovely novel of growth, family, love, friendship, and faith.
My first thought while reading this story was the children’s song:
“This Little Light of Mine, Yes I’m gonna let it shine,…”
There are so many wonderful messages within the pages of this book about a young girl named Jayne while she is growing up, and her neighbor Ruth. They live in Cub Creek and life is not easy for Jayne.
Her mama is troubled and she often takes her unhappiness out on her daughter. Her Daddy is dead and Mama has boyfriends. There is no time or energy for Jaynie.
Ruth may be elderly, but has the wisdom, strength, devotion and time to listen to Jayne and provide life lessons for this young lady.
Jaynie loves her time with her best friend Ruth.
Jayne grows up and leaves her unhappy memories of home the moment she turns eighteen.
Will she be able to remember the words of Ruth as the years go forward? Will she find and “shine her light”?
When she needs to return to her childhood home after many years, Jayne realizes what she has been missing for so long and that perhaps times were not quite what they seemed so many years ago.
I truly loved “A Light Last Seen”!
You can never go wrong with one of Grace Greene’s Books.
I would love to know Ruth and am quite sure I would love her advice!
Excellent!
A Light Last Seen by Grace Greene is the story of Jaynie Highsmith as she discovers that “the present is never free of the past.” Growing up in Cub Creek in rural Virginia, she wanted nothing more than to escape and the chaos that was her childhood. Desperate to leave her past behind her and make a new life, she leaves and reinvents herself, complete with a new name. Her new life has everything she wanted until she discovers it’s not what she thought it was. Jaynie is convinced that she is destined to live a life of unhappiness, making poor choice after poor choice like her mother. After seventeen years, needing another fresh start, she returns to Cub Creek, to confront her past and finally leave Cub Creek in the past. She soon discovers that she must reveal the secrets she’s kept for so long if she has any chance to find happiness.
This is my first book by Grace Greene and while I heard great things about A Light Last Seen, it wasn’t the story I expected. The story was slow moving with lackluster action. Jaynie was a hard character to like as she often acted more like a child throwing a tantrum than a grown woman. The only characters that I enjoyed were Jaynie’s neighbor, Ruth Berry and her grandson, Wyatt. Ruth has some great pearls of wisdom for Jaynie, some she remembered and others she forgot to live by. My favorite one is the one I quoted above. We are always influenced by the past, it is up to us to determine how much the past influences our present but we are never truly free. Overall, A Light Last Seen was a decent story; however, I expected more. Even though the book didn’t speak to me, I feel there is someone that it will. I recommend A Light Last Seen.
A Light Last Seen is available in paperback and eBook.
Beautifully written emotional story. The author created a world that I was deeply invested in. This was a book I wanted to rush through to find out the ending, and at the same time, wanted to read slowly so it would never end.
This was the second book I read by Grace Greene and I will definitely be reading more of her work. Excellent Author!
Somehow the little hollow in Cub Creek on Hope Road just connected to my soul. I do not even know how to explain it other than Jaynie’s story tugged on my heartstrings. I remember thinking that I would just start the book and pick it up later, but that did not happen. Greene builds Jaynie’s world so well that I felt like I was there with her, through each hard time and the good times too. Powerfully written and a commanding story, A Light Last Seen will stay with you long after you have read the last word. I received a copy of this book for free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.
It was an easy to read book: good summer reading. The main character was interesting and there was some depth to some of the other characters. The love interest was not quite fleshed out. Sometimes these books seem not quite realistic when they always show a girl who might have been molested in some way but was smart enough to avoid it. There is growth in the main character and forgiveness for some others, which is always uplifting.
A well-written fresh-start novel that lifted my spirits. Bravo, Grace Greene!
A Light Last Seen is an engaging journey of the life of Jaynie Highsmith from her younger years to early middle age. Grace Greene, the author, takes us through her years with her dysfunctional, yet loving, family, but also introduces us to the people in her life who became a deep part of her inner being. Through the author’s descriptions of the incidences and places in Jaynie’s life, the reader truly becomes a part of the heroine’s feelings, thoughts and experiences. This is a beautifully written book that will be hard to put down and will leave you wanting to read more from the author!! I’ve read all of Grace Greene’s books, and this one has become one of my favorites- exceptional writing and storytelling.
I throughly enjoyed this book. I’ve only read a couple from this author and they’ve all been great. I look forward to reading more from her. I love the twists that the author used.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this advanced copy. These views are my own.
This is a beautiful written story of a young girl coming of age. This novel touches on love, family and the healing touch of forgiveness
I loved this book! Grace Greene has an incredible gift of describing her characters and the scenery so well that you feel like you are right there.
This book’s character, Jaynie Highsmith, hasn’t had an easy life. Her mom raised her and her brother on her own after her dad died. Bella, her mom never got over her dad’s death and kept trying to find happiness again at the expense of her children. Life was not easy. Jaynie’s only saving grace growing up? Her caring neighbor, Ruth, who nurtures her and gives her guidance. Once Jaymie graduated from high school, she vowed to leave Cub Creek and start anew.
Once Jaymie leaves, she discovers that life has thrown her yet another curve ball and she finds herself back at Cub Creek where she is forced to deal with her past and come to terms with it…and along the way, repair her relationships with her brother and Wyatt, Ruth’s grandson, who also returned to Cub Creek to heal himself.
A Light Last Seen by Grace Greene is a wonderful story which drew me right in, making me forget everything else and did not let me go until I turned the last page. Grace Greene writes books with so much feeling and she teaches life lessons throughout the book. I could not put this book down once I started it. The story is very well written with well-developed and believable characters. This is a story of family, forgiveness and struggles. This is definitely one of my favorite Grace Greene books. I highly recommend this book by an awesome storyteller Grace Greene.
Grace Greene is one of my favorite authors and this story just became my favorite of all she wrote.
Jaynie’s childhood wasn’t perfect. She was raised by a single mother with quite a temperament and was protected by her older brother whenever possible. Her elderly neighbor Ruth was her true and only friend and also a mentor and they shared a wonderful time until Ruth was suddenly gone. Jaynie could hardly wait for her life to change and thought it can be done only by leaving everything behind and starting fresh somewhere else. That worked until it didn’t but she was strong enough to walk away from it… Who knew it was “truly as easy as returning home” to find healing and that chasing happiness is not always the same as finding it.
Jaynie Highsmith lost her light. Growing up with a mentally ill mother who self-medicated had caused her to dim her light in self defense. Jaynie learned to fly under the radar; retreating to Ruth Berry’s home removed her from her mother’s chaotic moods and gave her tools for her life’s toolbox . Cub Creek was a place of fear and confusion, so Jaynie struck out to the city to make a better life for herself the day she graduated from high school.
With that move, she reinvented herself, even changed her name. The choices she made brought her a temporary happiness, then forced her to flee back to Cub Creek. Yes, Jaynie did go home again, but the neighborhood had changed. Nearby homes were cleaned up and painted, waiting to welcome new occupants. Jaynie’s home was a mess, in need of deep rehab, a reflection of her life.
I’m pleased to say Jaynie got her happy ending, found her joy, rekindled her light. Thank you, Grace Greene, for once again taking me home. This Virginia girl still runs barefoot down dirt roads in her heart.
Reading a novel by Grace Greene is the fictional equivalent of getting a warm hug and this book is no exception. I was able to easily sink into the novel and was completely engrossed by the twists and turns of the story all the way to a satisfying ending. Well done!
For Jaynie Highsmith life wasn’t always perfect. After running away from her old life she was determined for her new life to be everything she ever dreamed of, until it wasn’t.
I enjoyed this beautiful story of finding your authentic self and truly living life and enjoying each moment as it comes. I loved watching Jaynie grow and find her way. I enjoyed the relationships that developed and the smiles this story brought to my face.
I did feel the story started off a bit slow, but see why Author Grace Greene took that route to create a full circle story.
I would recommend this story
I recieved an ARC of this story and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and honest.
A Light Last Seen written by Grace Greene is a poignant story full of pathos and sometimes desolation. The story touched this reader’s heart with a lingering sense of sadness and yet with hope. I was drawn into Jaynie’s story immediately as the first chapters find her a young teen dealing with the challenges of a fractured family. As the story continues and Jaynie leaves home, she finds life continues to bring challenges that obscure the happiness and kinship she longs for. I loved the characters, each with their strengths and weaknesses. Ruth, the beloved neighbor who loved unconditionally and gave such wonderful advice about life to a lonely young girl. Wyatt, a sometime friend, or was he more? Mitch, the brother who did what he could to keep Jaynie and her mother safe. This is a beautifully written story with the poetical image of a dragonfly scattered throughout the story–a reminder for Jayne through the years that facing one’s fears brings growth and peace of mind. Jayne’s journey to joy is complicated, and yet one in which she persists and eventually finds the light within. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to readers who love stories about family, friends, and forgiveness. I read a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.