Higher Love

by

Joanne Kukanza Easley

Emotionally evocative and character-driven dive into what makes and takes a family.

Higher Love, a sequel to author Joanne Kukanza Easley’s I’ll Be Seeing You, continues the story of Lauren Eaton, where the results of her past actions suddenly thrust themselves into her present. However, the skillful and steady insertion of background information brought me up to date and prevented me from feeling like I’d missed out. Readers who have not read the previous book will easily be able to read and enjoy this one as a standalone. 

At 62 years of age, Lauren Eaton, with her porcelain skin and vibrant head of mahogany curls, could readily pass for a much younger woman. She absolutely doesn’t look or feel her age, that is until her biological granddaughter shows up on her doorstep looking for her ‘real’ granny. Faced with the evidence of an almost forgotten past, it was like looking into a mirror, and there was no denying the relationship whatsoever. 

Recently orphaned Stephanie Babcock Kingston had run away from her haughty and insular Boston grandmother’s home when threatened with boarding school. It was only after her mother’s death that she discovered that Evelyn Cabot Babcock wasn’t her biological grandmother and had kept the truth from her and her mother their entire lives. Fleeing to Austin and Lauren, she hoped to build a new, fresh life in Texas. 

Told from the dual, alternating points of view of Lauren and Stephanie, the plot is deeply emotional and expressed in such a compelling manner that time seemed to melt away for me. Both Lauren and her granddaughter have a lot of catching up to do, clarifications to make, and trust to build. Both are struggling with their own demons. Lauren is 25 years sober, and readers gain an authentic glimpse into her struggle to maintain sobriety, serving as a poignant reminder that the fight is a lifelong one. Her new-found granddaughter has a recent history of self-harm to overcome. Stephanie is finally able to grieve her father’s earlier passing and her mother’s sudden death from a tragic accident while vacationing in Belize. Together with Lauren’s new husband and truly great guy, Brett, they slowly come to terms with the past, overcome new challenges, and focus on creating a new future as a family. 

With its strong and, I suspect, lasting emotional impact, this story is for readers seeking character-driven tales of tragedy, pain, self-determination, and the healing power of love. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.