Her Mother's Shadow. Diane Chamberlain

       Praise for

       Diane Chamberlain

      ‘Emotional, complex and laced with suspense, this fascinating story is a brilliant read.’

      —Closer

      ‘An excellent read’

      —The Sun

      ‘This complex tale will stick with you forever.’

      —Now

      ‘A hugely addictive twist in the tale makes this a sizzling sofa read … a deeply compelling and moving new novel.’

      —Heat

      ‘This exquisite novel about love and friendship is written like a thriller … you won’t want to put it down.’

      —Bella

      ‘A bittersweet story about regret and hope’

      —Publishers Weekly

      ‘A brilliantly told thriller’

      —Woman

      ‘An engaging and absorbing story that’ll have you racing through pages to finish’

      —People’s Friend

      ‘This compelling mystery will have you on the edge of your seat.’

      —Inside Soap

      ‘A fabulous thriller with plenty of surprises’

      —Star

      ‘Essential reading for Jodi Picoult fans’

      —Daily Mail

      ‘Chamberlain skillfully … plumbs the nature of crimes of the heart.’

      —Publishers Weekly

      ‘So full of unexpected twists you’ll find yourself wanting to finish it in one sitting. Fans of Jodi Picoult’s style will love how Diane Chamberlain writes.’

      —Candis

      ‘The plot is intriguing and haunting revelations will have you glued to the very end.’

      —Peterborough Evening Telegraph

      ‘I was drawn in from the first page and simply could not put it down until the last. I think I have found a new favourite author.’

      —Daily Echo

      ‘[A] gripping summer read that’s full of twists and turns

      —5 stars’

      —Woman’s Own

      ‘The compelling story of three friends who are forced to question what it is to be a friend, mother and a sister.’

      —Sunday World

      ‘A gripping novel’

      —The Lady (online)

      ‘Diane Chamberlain is a marvellously gifted author. Every book she writes is a gem.’

      —Literary Times

      ‘A strong tale that deserves a comparison with Jodi Picoult for, as this builds, one does indeed wonder if all will come right in the end.’

      —lovereading.co.uk

      ‘I couldn’t put it down.’

      —Bookseller

       Also by Diane Chamberlain

      Kiss River

      Keeper of the Light

      The Lost Daughter

      The Bay at Midnight

      Before the Storm

      Secrets She Left Behind

      The Lies We Told

      Breaking the Silence

      The Midwife’s Confession

      Brass Ring

      The Shadow Wife

      The Good Father

      Her Mother’s

      Shadow

       Diane Chamberlain

       GETS TO THE HEART OF THE STORY

       www.mirabooks.co.uk

      In memory of Nan Chamberlain Lopresti

      Acknowledgements

      So many people helped me with my research as I wrote Her Mother’s Shadow. For their various contributions, I would like to thank Rodney Cash, Kimberly Certa, Steve Cook, Paul Holland and my friends at ASA, who are always ready with an answer to my questions, no matter how esoteric those questions may be.

      I am grateful to fellow authors Emilie Richards and Patricia McLinn for their brainstorming skills. The inspiration to make Bobby Asher a scrimshaw artist came from my favourite scrimshander, Cathy Guss, whose stunning craftsmanship I discovered a number of years ago.

      Special thanks goes once again to Sharon Van Epps, for sharing with me her experiences as she attempts to adopt a child from India. As I write this, Sharon is still engaged in that struggle and it’s my fervent hope that her story has a happy ending.

      Betsy Reitz earns a mention in these acknowledgements for winning the essay contest on my website. Betsy’s love of the Keeper of the Light trilogy was evident in her essay. It’s readers like Betsy who make writing worthwhile.

      As always, I’d like to thank my agent, Ginger Barber, and my editor, Amy Moore-Benson. I am so lucky to be able to work with both of them.

      I would love to hear your thoughts about Her Mother’s Shadow. Please visit my website at www.dianechamberlain.com.

      HER MOTHER’S SHADOW

      The girl in the kitchen

      has her mother’s eyes

      the color of new jeans

      and old sapphires.

      She has her mother’s hair,

      scarlet and sienna.

      Her mother’s lips

      and bird feather hands.

      But …

      When she turns her head

      just so,

      The indigo eyes are

      flecked with amber.

      The hair,

      streaked with gold.

      She is not her mother

      at all.

      —Paul Macelli

       Prologue

       Christmas 1990

      THERE WAS CHEER IN THE HOUSE IN THE HEART of Manteo. From the outside, the large two-story frame building that served as the battered women’s shelter was nondescript. There were no Christmas lights hanging from the eaves, not even a wreath on the door, as if the people who ran the house were afraid to draw attention to it, and Lacey supposed they were. Cruel men had put the women and children here, the sort of men she had no experience with and found hard to imagine. But she could see the fear in the women’s faces and knew those men existed. More than that, she did not really want to know.

      Although there was no sign of the season outside the house, inside was another story. Fresh garlands