The Color of Heaven

January 2, 2012
Sophie Duncan leads a charmed existence: loving husband Michael, great career, and beautiful daughter, Megan. But all of that comes to a halt when her little daughter is diagnosed with leukemia. Michael becomes distant as their daughterâs illness progresses and, after Megan dies, reveals he has been having an affair with a younger woman who is pregnant with his child. Sophie is devastated and her depression results in a terrible car accident. As she lies dying, Sophie has a spiritual experience: she meets her mother, whom she always thought abandoned her, and comes to terms with her family history. Awakening from her coma recommitted to life, Sophie discovers her high school sweetheart waiting for her in the hospital room. They marry, have a little boy, and live happily ever after. MacLean (writing under the pen name Mitchell) has a deal of experience writing romance novels and that sensibility is apparent on every page. There is a great deal of epic love, crushing emotions, and, sadly, simplistic resolutions. Mitchell knows her audience and her craft, and she handles both well, but with a lack of imagination.