The Underside of Joy by Sere Prince Halverson is a deeply engrossing debut about love, loss, family, and forgiveness. The story opens with Ella, devoted step-mother of two, and happily married wife of Joe. Life is picturesque for Ella in the sleepy little town of Elbow California, but that all ends when Joe breaks his own rule and turns his back on the ocean … resulting in an unexpected and tragic accident, leaving her and his two children behind.
In the wake of his drowning, Ella starts to realize that Joe had secrets- the largest and most complicated one being Paige, his children’s biological mother. Paige shows up at his funeral, intent on reclaiming the children, and Ella soon realizes that Joe may have kept the truth from her for the past three years. This results in an epic custody battle that becomes a tug-a-war of the heart.
Sere Prince Halverson perfectly captures the depths of human emotions and examines the complexity of the secrets that we each hold near and dear to our hearts. Throughout the book, I constantly found myself wondering how far Ella would go to keep her kids and how far Paige would go to win custody. The ending is definitely unexpected but I found it endearingly heartfelt and honest. This book is a truly humbling and I would highly recommend it. An unforgettable debut from Halverson.
[Rating: 5/5]
Sounds like a real ‘heart tugger’. I’ll definitely put this on my ‘must read’ list.