A really, really good read…Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah. This book covers a child psychologist who is married to her profession, a mistake she made, and typical return to the hometown. However, it is rich in character development and very touching as a child that comes to the town from seemingly nowhere and how the town rallies around both the psychologist, who left the town feeling like an outcast and loner after high school, and the mature psychologist who has learned to accept herself.
Another book I read earlier in the year, Looking for Peyton Place by Barbara Delinsky, was an interesting look into the social impact that Grace Metalious had on both the steamy novel and the soap opera. It seemed a bit autobiographical, as apparently Grace Metalious was and still is a great inspiration to many an aspiring housewife/novelist. The book follows, and I feel I am repeating myself, a return to a hometown where the main character felt like an outcast and a loner so she left as soon as she could, but became extremely successful away from home. A tragedy occurs of some sort, she returns home and is constantly trying to fight the stereotyp of herself in her mind to become a fully-grown mature adult who accepts herself. Despite my sarcasm, the book was also very good and I would recommend both of these books for any avid reader.