The title of this book captured my attention, especially because I’m a senior about to graduate, wondering about the life I am intended to live. This ghostly love story, published in December, contains themes found in P.S. I Love You, Kristin Harmel’s second book. Her first book was the international bestseller, The Sweetness of Forgetting.
The Life Intended opens with Kate Waithman remembering a life now swept away. A young widow working in New York City as a music therapist, she finds herself engaged again to a charming and successful young man. It seems she should feel more excited looking towards a bright new future, however, her mind drifts to the past in her sleep with dreams of her late husband, Patrick, and of a daughter they never had, named Hannah. Is Patrick reaching out to send her a message from the unknown or is her soul unable to let go of a heartbreaking past?
Balancing her life between dreams and reality, Kate uncovers Patrick’s hidden meaning feeling drawn to a sign language class and the New York City foster system. Through life’s tragedies and searching for your purpose in life, you will feel connected to this book and relate to Kate. Many of us have woken from such dreams that seemed so real, we think they couldn’t possibly be simply a figment of our imagination. We desperately try to hold on to the dream to stay there just a little longer.
As Kate continues to be beckoned into her dream world, the line between dreams and reality becomes ever more blurry. Her dreams of Patrick lead her to uncover her newly intended life, the one she is challenged to embrace in order to find happiness and fulfillment. Though this may seem like a ghost story or a fantasy novel, it is actually written in a very realistic style. Be prepared to get emotional as you watch Kate’s life unfold at the hands of her late husband who unpredictably helps her navigate through life’s many trapdoors and hidden meanings.
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