Review: "The Ice Chorus" by Sarah Stonich

Liselle Dupre has left it all behind: her husband of 18 years, her teenage son, and her former life in Toronto to start over in a remote village in Ireland after a brief but meaningful affair. Lise is a documentary film maker, most interested in the lives of others, yet her own life is the one thing that she can't figure out.

When Lise met and fell in love with Charlie, an artist, while on vacation in Mexico she realized that her marriage to her husband Stephen was one of convenience and obligation, rather than one of love. Making the life-changing decision to leave her husband to pursue the happiness she has found, she risks losing her son as well. Adam, on the cusp of adulthood, has a hard time coming to terms with the fact that his mother has had an affair.

Lise escapes to a remote Irish village and, over time, comes to know and love the people who live there. She fixes up her little cottage on the sea, works on her documentary, and more than anything, she hopes that her son will forgive her for turning his life upside down. Lise also waits for Charlie, her artistic lover, although she knows deep down that she needs to find herself and come to terms with her past before she can experience true love.

The Ice Chorus was a beautifully written story. The plot was intricate, involving several characters who were all lovable yet flawed. The story flowed from one scene to the next, which was no easy task considering that as Lise's story unfolds we find ourselves in Mexico as she meets Charlie as well as in Toronto as her former life unravels.

What I loved the most about this book was how well Sarah Stonich described places and events. As she described her little cottage on the sea, I felt as I was there with Lise, looking out over the frozen beach. When she described Mexico, I could almost see the vibrant colours. Most of all I could feel Lise's agony as she contemplated leaving her husband, whom she was not in love with, for Charlie, a man whom she loved with every fibre of her being, but knowing that she would be risking losing her son, Adam. The intricacy of the relationships between all of the people involved was especially gripping.

To purchase this book, newly out in paperback, please visit Amazon, and to find out more about the author, please visit http://www.sarahstonich.com/.