Pedro Miranda Miranda itibaren Al-Hussainiyah, Suriye
Life is full of many twists and turns; one may think they are going towards one dream, but come across another on the journey there. Leaving one's heart open makes anything possible in this world. All that is left to do is take that first step forward, finding the key. Cornelia Brown is a woman in her mid-twenties that has her life in order. She is surrounded by her best friends and family and works at a small café in town. Clare Hobbs is living a life that she can surprisingly withstand as an eleven year old. Her strength is commendable for a girl her age. Having such an inconsistent mother and absent father only gives her the motivation to give herself the life she really deserves. Their lives would soon become intertwined by the unexpected entrance of Martin Grace. Cornelia and Martin get into a relationship that quickly turns from superficial to real. Throughout the beginning months of their relationship, Cornelia continues to feel like something is missing. This is up until she meets his daughter, Clare. After knowing Martin for a couple months Cornelia would have never expected him having a daughter, especially when he said that his previous marriage was only a "fling." Like any other woman would, Cornelia begins to dislike Martin for lying to her about such a big part of his life. It even goes to the extent of not even wanting to see him anymore. Once Cornelia forces herself to forgive Martin she begins to form a relationship with Clare that will last forever. Clare has an immediate sense of trust from Cornelia; this is a rare case for Clare. From this close bond they have, Clare was able to unleash one of her darkest secrets, Clare's mother, Viviana, hasn't been seen since she dropped Clare off in the middle of the road one afternoon. This brings Cornelia into a predicament. Should she call the police, but risk Clare's trust or keep it a secret and try and find her herself? This conflict between woman vs. herself is shown through this obstacle. Cornelia is continuously fighting with herself trying to find the right thing to do. This decision will change not only Clare's life, but also hers. The pressure to do what is right is coming from her family, friends, and even Martin. Clare and Cornelia’s bond is a blessing and curse because it is difficult to let someone you love go. Marisa de los Santos has a writing style that I personally would love to see in every book I read. Each chapter is either in the point of view of Clare or Cornelia. The chapters are usually the same situation, but since their perspectives are so different it creates an entirely different story. All the emotions that are running through their heads are expressed on paper perfectly through this writing style. During Cornelia's chapters I couldn't help but laugh at her witty sense of humor. Her personality is so unique and friendly where by the end of the book I felt she was my best friend. Clare, on the other hand, made me want to cry reading all that she had to undergo at such a young age. Although she has experienced such rough times, she is such a mature and strong young lady as a result of it. I was definitely cheering her on throughout the book hoping that she would get what she deserves. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to a book where you will say, "awww" at the end. There was so many times where I wanted to highlight quotes that were words of wisdom and applicable to my life today. This is the kind of book that will make you think about how you want your life to turn out and if you are having an open heart and mind about it. There is no valid reason to have your mind set on one thing when there are so many other things in this world that are here for us. The one thing that I didn't like about this book was how the first fifty pages were just a bunch of references to old movies and actors/actresses. Once you get past that the book is amazing!