“THE TASTE OF AIR”—Compelling contemporary women’s fiction from author Gail Cleare—to know your family is to know yourself…or is it?

THE TASTE OF AIR  by Gail Cleare

A simple phone call disrupts Nell Williams’s well-ordered life. Her mother, Mary, is in a hospital in Vermont. But her mother is supposed to be safely tucked away in an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts, so Nell can’t fathom why she would be so far from home.

After notifying her sister, Bridget, Nell hops on a plane and rushes to her mother’s side. There, she discovers that her mother has been living a second life. Mary has another home and a set of complex relationships with people her daughters have never met.

When Nell and Bridget delve deeper into their mother’s lakeside hideaway, they uncover a vault of family secrets and the gateway to change for all three women.

MY REVIEW:  I was captivated by author Gail Cleare’s storytelling in “The Taste of Air”, and much of it resonated strongly with me as a reader. While I lived with my own mother for almost fifty years, and I knew her better than anyone else possibly could, there was still much about her life that I will never know. We often forget that our parents are people, that they are human and make human mistakes, and none of us are perfect. “The Taste of Air” is a compelling reminder that none of us know how we would react when faced with some the choices our parents had to make. The comfort of Nell Williams’s neatly-organized life is left behind when a phone call changes her reality forever. Not only is her mother, Mary, not in a care facility in Massachusetts as expected, she is hospitalized in Hartland, Vermont, a town unknown to Nell and her sister, Bridget. Upon their arrival in Vermont, they discover their mother’s “other life”, complete with a cottage home and a set of local friends. As more and more secrets about their mother and family are revealed, the sisters are forced to examine their own lives. While nothing will ever be the same, will long-held hopes and dreams find a way to come true? Author Gail Cleare has created a compelling portrait of three memorable women and the unique bond that exists between mothers and daughters—and the varied emotions in the relationships of sisters with each other.

Book Copy Received Gratis Via Author—Opinions Are Strictly My Own Observances

GAIL CLEARE

Gail Cleare lives on an 18th century farm in Massachusetts with her family and dogs, cats, chickens, black bears, blue herons, rushing streams and wide, windy skies. In addition to writing fiction and poetry, she's into organic gardening and nature photography, and can often be found stalking wild creatures with a 300 mm lens.

http://www.gailcleare.com/

"In The Taste of Air, Cleare deftly explores the consequence of our choices, even those made with the best of intentions. A family saga bridging decades and filled with shocking revelations, hope and love, you won't be able put this book down."
~Kate Moretti, author of NYT Bestseller Thought I Knew You

"What begins to unfold from page one is a captivating story filled with mystery, suspense, love, longing and family...a poignant tale not to be missed."
~Samantha March for Readers' Favorite (5 STARS)

"When Nell and Bridget start pulling at the thread of their mother's deceptions, their own worlds unravel."  

~Katie O'Rourke, Amazon bestselling author of Finding Charlie

"This is a book to choose as a companion for curling up on a sofa on a dark winter day or for laying on the beach in the summer...character-driven fiction at its best." 
~Ann Warner, author of The Babbling Brook Naked Poker Club series

"Gail Cleare's mesmerizing new novel...will make you see your own life with new eyes and leave you transformed."~Jamie Cat Callan, author of Bonjour, Happiness!

"My first thought after finishing The Taste of Air was that this was an incredibly satisfying novel. "
~Bibliotica

"Cleare's voice and plotting style reminded me a lot of Danielle Steele's."
~Chick Lit Central

"The characters all felt real and the setting was perfect for the story....it reminded me of novels by Barbara Delinsky."
~Secret Library

"A truly original read...the author explores emotional topics with compassion and sensitivity."
~Keep Calm and Novel On