Claire Kite lost the love of her life in a tragic car accident. It has been three long years now that she has been grieving her husband David. A successful restaurateur, she lives for her work. At home she has a one-eyed cat for company. Now she has made the decision to sell the house she shared with her husband. While cleaning out his desk, she finds a manuscript of the book David was writing before his death. She begins to read… and the book is amazing! However, it ends mid-sentence. It is an unfinished story that needs an ending. She approaches renowned writer Whitaker Grant to finish David’s story.
Whitaker Grant – divorced bestselling author, wine aficionado, is a man in limbo. He has lost his drive and has a severe case of writer’s block. His house is in a shambles, and he wastes his time playing video games amid his own squalor. When Claire Kite approaches him to finish her late husband’s novel, he refuses, feeling himself not equal to the task. After much persistence on her part, he finally reluctantly agrees.
The book, its subject, and these two lonely people will have their lives irrevocably changed by Whitaker’s decision.
Essentially a story of second chances this novel also speaks to the unpredictability of life. Of how different people can experience the same event so very differently. How, if you are open to new ideas and experiences, happiness and fulfillment just might be yours. This might be a bit too saccharine for some, but it is fiction, and very enjoyable fiction at that.
The love story was predictable, but that didn’t mar my enjoyment of the read. I loved the nod to foster children and those amazing folk who open their homes to children and adolescents in need.
Also, it explores the pressures that writers impose on themselves. The self doubt, the discipline, sometimes the despair that comes with the drive to write.
The setting was spectacular. Pass-a-Grille, on Florida’s Gulf Coast – a beach lover’s paradise.
This novel highlighted the many myriad forms of ‘family’. In summation, I thoroughly enjoyed reading “An Unfinished Story” and look forward to further books by Boo Walker.
This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that downloaded a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley.
Publication date: August 4, 2020 Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
ISBN: 9781542019446 ASIN: B07Y8252TG 336 pages
Boo Walker initially tapped his creative muse as a songwriter and banjoist in Nashville before working his way west to Washington State, where he bought a gentleman’s farm on the Yakima River. It was there amongst the grapevines and wine barrels that he fell in love with telling stories that now resonate with book clubs around the world. Rich with colorful characters and boundless soul, his novels will leave you with an open heart and a lifted spirit.
Always a wanderer, Boo currently lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine with his wife and son. He also writes thrillers under the pen name Benjamin Blackmore.
Connect with Boo Walker via his website, Twitter, or Instagram.
Fictionophile 