The Space Between Before and After

Hollyanne Beckett navigates two crises simultaneously - her son's medical emergency in the present day and memories of her mother's disappearance forty years ago. As she cares for her teenage son in Texas, she must confront the trauma from her childhood in upstate New York. The narrative alternates between Hollyanne's current life as a mother and her past as a ten-year-old girl during the summer of 1969. The Apollo moon landing serves as a backdrop to both timelines, connecting past and present through themes of exploration and uncertainty. The story examines the complicated bonds between mothers and children across generations, and how past wounds shape current relationships. Through parallel storytelling, the novel reveals how time and memory intersect in moments of family crisis. Through this dual narrative, Page explores questions about faith, science, and the ways humans cope with events beyond their control. The novel considers how people find meaning in coincidence and pattern, especially during times of profound change or loss.

Readers found this to be a solid family drama that shifts between past and present timelines. The character development and emotional depth resonated with many readers who connected with the mother-son relationship at the center of the story. Liked: - Realistic portrayal of complicated family dynamics - Clear, engaging writing style - Strong sense of place in Texas setting - Well-handled time transitions - Character authenticity Disliked: - Some found the pacing slow in the middle - Multiple timeline shifts confused certain readers - Secondary characters felt underdeveloped - A few readers wanted more resolution to certain plot threads Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (272 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (31 ratings) "The mother-son relationship felt authentic and raw" - Goodreads reviewer "Page captures small-town Texas perfectly" - Amazon reviewer "Timeline jumps required too much concentration" - LibraryThing reviewer

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📚 The novel alternates between two timelines - 1950s Polio epidemic and present-day Texas - weaving together stories of mothers and sons across generations. 🏥 Author Jean Reynolds Page drew inspiration from her own mother's experience with Polio, which she contracted as a child in the early 1950s. 🌟 Page explores how family myths and memories are shaped differently by each person who experiences them, particularly focusing on how children and parents can have vastly different recollections of the same events. 🎨 The book's title "The Space Between Before and After" refers to the moment of transformation when life changes irrevocably - a theme that runs throughout multiple characters' storylines. 🗺️ The story's settings in both New York and Texas reflect the author's own life experience, having lived in both locations and drawing from their distinct cultural differences to enhance the narrative.