The Edge of Winter by Luanne Rice

At the beginning of the film The English Patient, the leading lady lists several kinds of love and points out they are “all quite different, actually”. Luanne Rice’s novel takes the opposite view; that the love between parents and children, friends, brothers, comrades and new love are all quite similar, actually. Each contains the seeds of hope and forgiveness, which is the bedrock of this story.
The setting is a beach in a Rhode Island wildlife refuge in winter, etched in hues of gray, white and ochre. It is as much a character as any of the people. Nature is a strong presence throughout, a barometer of goodness and described poetically, in one instance, “late-afternoon butterscotch light”. History too, is either treasured or exploited depending on the person.
Neve, a gallery curator, is a divorced mother raising her daughter, Mickey, a sensitive teenager who is attracted to Shane, a rebellious classmate who spends most of his time surfing (the ocean, not the Internet). Guarding the refuge is Ranger O’Casey, whose life intersects with all of them. A rare snowy owl is spending the cold months at the beach and provides a catalyst for many of the events in the book. Off the shoreline lies the remains of a German U-Boat sunk during WW2. Not only is this a source of conflict between developers and preservationists, but serves as a metaphor for family secrets which are revealed as the story unfolds. These 2 elements, the owl and the U-Boat, teach the characters how each person can make a difference for good or ill.
The book definitely has a message and at times wraps things up too neatly. It also falls back on stereotypes, such as the gruff older man who is really a marshmallow or the nasty rich kid. Neve’s gal pal, Chris isn’t developed at all, which is strange. But these flaws are minor, since the novel has such heart and it’s in the right place, too.

Bantam Books 2007 352 pp. ISBN-13 978-0-553-80527-7