Learning to Swim

An AWESOME read!

I don't know about you, but when I read a book I want to be captivated by the unfolding story, transported to another time/place and so enamored by the characters that closing the book after I read the final word on the final page is a sad moment. Did "Learning To Swim" deliver? For this reader, the answer is a resounding YES! "If I'd blinked, I would have missed it. But I didn't, and I saw something fall from the rear deck of the opposite ferry: a small, wide-eyed human face, in one tiny frozen moment, as it plummeted toward the water." Who could not be drawn into a story that starts so quickly? And who could not picture themselves in that moment, wondering what decision they would make in that split second - jump in, call for help or forget what was seen? The minute Troy jumps in and swims across cold Lake Champlain, dives deep to retrieve the boy and gets both of them safely to shore, she becomes my hero. When I learn that no one, absolutely no one, is looking for French-speaking Paul, my maternal instincts kick in, and like Troy, I just want to keep him safe. After these first few pages I am so involved in a craftily woven story of kidnapping, murder, wealth, privilege, deception, trust and yes, a touch of romance, that I follow along, rarely questioning how or why anything is happening. That's what made this book such a fun read, because the author, Sara J. Henry, DID question everything, and dropped the questions into the story like bombs, completely catching me off-guard and taking me on a roller-coaster ride that kept my attention. Every time I thought I knew what would happen next, the story took another detour, and when I finally got to those last pages, I was once again surprised. There is quite a cast of characters, but each one is relevant to the story and introduced so naturally that at times, their importance isn't realized until the end. While Sara rounds out the story very with peripheral details and descriptions, they are not so overwhelming that the story is bogged down with information that doesn't matter. Every person, detail and description has a purpose, and it was only when I got to the end that I discovered how the seemingly unimportant were actually very important, and I appreciated the care with which Sara crafted the story. For me, this book was a great read that had me from the first sentence on the first page. I highly recommend it, and if you enjoy it as much as I did, there's great news! A sequel!!! There's also bad news.we have to wait until February 2012 to continue our journey with Troy and Paul.

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Couldn't put it down

Great weekend read. It was perfect for a rainy weekend. I was immediately drawn in from page1and couldn't put it down. The characters were interesting and relatable and the plot twists came out of nowhere. I can't wait for Sara henry's next book!

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Great book

I loved the story and the characters were totally interesting. This is a great book that you will not want to miss!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An absolute great read

I saw this in the "new authors" section at B&N and downloaded it immediately. By the third page I knew I was reading something special. Ms. Henry weaves a suspenseful, adventurous and slightly romantic tale that leaves you eager to find out what happens next. Though I had figured out the ending prematurely, I was not disappointed by the heroine's path to the same conclusion. I eagerly await Ms. Henry's next novel, and am thankful B&N drove me to this one!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

An Excellent Debut Novel

Learning to Swim begins when freelance writer Troy Chance sees a child plummet from the deck of a passing ferry into Lake Champlain. Instinctively, she dives in and saves him, then begins the long swim back to shore. The child, who speaks only French, tells Troy his name is Paul. Other than that she manages only to get sketchy information from him. He tells her he was kidnapped and held in a room somewhere, and that the kidnappers shot his mother. Troy becomes attached to Paul and, instead of going to the police right away, uses her internet researching skills to do some preliminary investigating of her own. She wants to find out to her satisfaction that the boy will be safe if she turns him over to the authorities and he's returned home. She wants to make sure the father wasn't involved in his abduction. Her investigation leads her into deeper involvement with Paul and his father and puts her under suspicion of a local detective who thinks she had something to do with Paul's initial disappearance. After an attempt on Troy's life, she really hits the investigation trail, determined to find the two men who kidnapped Paul. But what she stumbles into is a twist that I never saw coming. Learning to Swim is Sara J. Henry's debut novel. It is a relationship story as well as a mystery, and on both levels it succeeds very well. I highly recommend it.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Highly recommended

Troy sees a bundle thrown from a passing ferry and in that split second she realizes it is a child. Without thinking she dives into the water to rescue him. What follows is a great read that will keep you guessing until the end. Fantastic plot twists and the writing keeps you rivited. A great book with well fleshed out characters filled with real emotion. Learning to Swim by Sara Henry is a must read.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Because I'm the author ...

... I can't actually write a review, but I can quote from a few others (and can say I hope you enjoy the book): "From the grabber beginning to the heartfelt conclusion, LEARNING TO SWIM is an auspicious debut. Fresh setting, well-realized characters, cleanly written, with a mysterious and suspenseful story. - Daniel Woodrell, award-winning author of WINTER'S BONE "A mesmerizing confluence of mystery, intrigue, and suspense, with undercurrents of deep personal drama, Sara J. Henry's LEARNING TO SWIM will hook you from the first page." - Jamie Ford, author of the bestselling HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET "Author Sara J. Henry has adeptly interwoven a highly gripping kidnapping mystery with the fascinating character study of a woman forced by extreme circumstances to reevaluate everything she thought she knew to be true about herself." - Elizabeth A. White "It's an increasingly rare experience not to see every turn of plot and logic coming around the page, and the ability to sell the reader on the character's logic without shortchanging them on surprise is no small feat. Sara J. Henry pulled it off." -Jedidiah Ayres

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Great Book

I read mostly mysteries and this book was one of my favorites of 2011. I really liked the main character, Troy. The plot is not really typical for a mystery. I highly recommend this book.

SO SO

pretty good book. interesting twist at the end. Can't say I loved it but it was OK.

Excellent

Ms.+Henry%27s+debut+is+fantastic.+Written+intelligently%2C+the+story+is+engrossing+from+the+very+beginning%2C+something+not+very+common.+Emotional+and+tense%2C+yet+loving+and+sensitive%2C+be+prepared+to+not+being+able+to+put+this+novel+down.+

Great book! Couldn't put it down.

From the first page, this book pulled me in and didn't let me down. I loved the relentless zeal Troy had in trying to solve the mysterious kidnapping.

Plodding & Unbelievable

Highly unrealistic, plot holes you could sail a ship through, lackluster characters, sloooowwwww and tedious, dull, dull, dull.

Learning To Swim

While on a ferry, Troy Chance thinks she sees a small child fall off another ferry. Quickly, se dives into the water and heads towards the fallen object (which is a six-year-old boy). Since no one from either ferry saw the boy or her jump in the water, she swims to safety. On shore, she finds out the boy only speaks French.

Thus, beings the tale in Learning to Swim. From the onset, this mystery kept my spellbound from the moment of the rescue until the finale. Why Troy doesn't go to the police and tries on her own to find the truth of who may have tossed the boy overboard is a few of the questions that popped into this reader's head. There are twists and turns that keeps the story exciting. A very exciting debut from Ms. Henry.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Unexpected twist, Fun read!

A great choice for reading after a long day. Easy to read, a nice storyline, and not overly complicated. My heart was touched by the little boy, caught in all the adult drama. I liked the way it ended it was an unexpected twist. Well done debut novel! Note: My copy was a paperback, uncorrected proof. This book was provided through the GoodReads First Read program with the expectation of an honest review. My opinions are my own.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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