Have you ever read On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah? It’s a pretty stereotypical romance novel. You know what I’m talking about… Middle aged, rich woman who has defined herself as Mrs. Richie-Rich finds herself facing a pending divorce when her non-attentive husband confesses to loving a younger version of her. Woman flees to Small-Town USA where there is conveniently an attractive man her age that she knew from High School and a sudden romance buds between them… blah, blah, blah. You’ve seen Sweet Home Alabama with Reese Witherspoon, right?

While on the surface this book may be the same old story, clever Kristin has found a way to tell another story, the father’s story, through the experiences and interactions he has with the newly divorced, long-lost lover.

Nick Delacroix is a middle-aged father of a young girl who has suffered the loss of her often-depressed mother. Not knowing how to cope with the loss of the love of his life, and being reminded of her everyday through his daughter, Nick turns to boos in order to numb (or black out) the pain. Feeling left all alone, the young girl, stops speaking and imagines that her body parts are slowly disappearing until one day she will be as invisible as the spirit of her mother that still lingers in their home.

Annie, the divorcee, arrives in town and begins to care for the young girl so Nick can “get it together.” Soon the now-happy threesome is never apart and slowly the child begins to come back and the father begins to sober up.

Understanding her place, Annie allows Nick to step in again as a parent and rekindle his relationship with his daughter.

Later Annie is forced to choose between her husband, who now wants her back, and her new lover, a man she always wanted to be with.

But Annie’s story isn’t the one I’m interested in. It’s that of the father’s, of Nick’s story. It’s amazing how forgiving and resilient children can be after a life tragedy. The true story in this book is that of little a girl who got her father back and found she had strength greater than her mother could have hoped for.

If you didn’t get a chance to read this book over the Father’s Day weekend, check it out now at http://tinyurl.com/88uxdqp. And pay attention to the subplots as they are what makes this story stand out.

Have you ever read a book and fell in love with the subplot more than the main plot?