0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
or copy the link
In the Oakland, California, of 1989, Mirai San Julian is a young woman with a fascinating life and a rich past. She restores historic carousels — her dream career — working from her own studio in a former roller skating rink. Though black herself, she spent her first years in a Basque immigrant community in Nevada, the adopted child of a single mother. And after the mother’s death, she was raised by her Aunt Joy in a Catholic Worker house.
Mirai has a lot going for her — but then, why is everything suddenly falling apart? Her current, year-long carousel project is veering crazily out of control, in both schedule and budget. The guy who dumped her only months before has shown up married and — as far as Mirai is concerned — to the worst possible person. Her mother’s death long ago is looking less and less like an accident. And Joy, the one person who has had her complete trust, may know more about that death than she has let Mirai believe.
Mirai knows how to restore a carousel, but can she restore relationships with those she loves? Can she strip the old paint of past wrongs to prepare her life for new, more vibrant colors? And will her eyes be clear enough to spot the brass ring when it finally comes within reach?
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
Anne L. Watson, a retired historic preservation architecture consultant, is the author of several novels, plus books on such diverse subjects as soapmaking and baking with cookie molds. She currently lives in Friday Harbor, Washington, in the San Juan Islands, with her husband and fellow author, Aaron Shepard, and their cat, Skeeter.
Joy was a Joy to Read Joy is a captivating story of Mirai San Julian, an adopted child of a single mother and later raised by her aunt. Mirai wants to learn about her past, but doing so may hurt her relationships with those she loves.Joy was a joy to read! It is a beautifully written rich descriptive story of love and life. It was interesting to read the history of the carousels and their restoration. Aunt Joy’s lifelong ministry to help those who need guidance and supervision was touching. Although Mirai is a bit of a free spirit, as the story advances you begin to see the impression Joy’s life-work had on Mirai.All of the characters are well developed and people that I could cared about. The story flows well and every time I had to put it down, I couldn’t wait to get back to the story. I highly recommend this book.
Joy I received my copy of “Joy” yesterday and couldn’t put it down until 1 am when I was too sleepy to read. I finished it this morning. Anne weaves so many stories into this book, that it kept my attention and whetted my appetite for more. Her descriptions of the Basque communities enriched my knowledge of those people. This book has it all: history, rich family history, thwarted romance, a questionable death and much more. I particularly enjoyed the details about the restoration of the historic carousel. I would recommend this book to anyone who might enjoy good read.Pat PotterHouston, TX
Best book I read all year! This is my first book I have ever felt driven to write a review for so that should give you an idea of how much I enjoyed this book!The characters were captivating and I loved all the different story lines which at the end all came together nicely but not predictably. It was written so well and the story flowed so easily that I found it hard to put down. Two nights I stayed up way past my regular bed time because I had to see what was going to happen.I highly recommend this to anyone that wants a great book; I promise you will be entertained. This is a book that I will keep in my collection because I will definately read it again!