This story touched me, and I think the success of any story should be based on the emotion it evokes in a reader. That is why I have five stars for this book.

Lost in Hardyland gets its title from Hardy, the last name of the family in the novel as well as the meaning it implies. The story is about a father and daughter working through their misconceptions about each other, despite an earlier lost time. Brad Hardy, the father, is a flawed man but his love for his children is exemplary.

The story begins when Zoey Hardy, after the death of her physician mother, comes to live with Brad, her father. Zoey, a college-ready genius in her early teens, was born out of wedlock. Her mother’s high-brow sisters have also wanted Zoey and had fought for her in court.

In her new environment, Zoey not only has to get close to her father but also has to learn to live with and warm up to her two older siblings. Zoey is used to an intellectual setting and yearns to be with her aunts who have filled her with negative input about Brad, but this is only the beginning. The novel is about the struggle of the father and daughter discovering their similarities and the love they have for each other.

The viewpoint and the voice belong to the main character Zoey, and her voice is expressive, emotive, and sensitive, as well as being the biggest factor that makes this story a success. As for Brad, the reader relates to him through Zoey’s eyes. Still, despite Zoey’s intolerant view of him in the beginning, his dedication made me love him as a human being. The characterizations of the teen and her father are exquisite, and all the other characters are also portrayed well and as much as their roles are required in the plot.

The overall pace is even and smooth, and the climax at the end is superb. What little flaws this book may have can be overlooked because the strength of the characterization, the voice, and the plot overriding them.

enjoying a parent-child story

the father's character, flawed though he was

emotional

is Shannon Heuston. She has a few other books published by Amazon.

It is a good story and it touches the heart.

The story is strong but it might need a copy editor; however, I didn't pay attention to its little mistakes since I liked the novel a lot.

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Created Jun 22, 2018 at 2:23pm • Submit your own review...