“Distant Shores” by Kristen Hannah is a riveting book about something very common. After 24 years of marriage, countless moves, and two children raised, Jack and Elizabeth Shore have forgotten why they got married in the first place. They say the words “I love you” every day but cannot remember the last time they actually meant it. Just when it seems like nothing will ever change, Elizabeth makes a decision that shocks both of them it seems like the end of years together and the life they have made.

They find themselves separated not only figuratively but quite literally. Jack is finding stardom in New York City while Elizabeth is trying to find herself in quiet Echo Beach, Portland. With the miles between them they allow themselves to do things they never dreamed of, both good and bad. When they face rejection on their own it is difficult but it's the success that is hardest to handle. It turns out that success without anyone to share it with feels more like failure.

The reader will surely find connections between the Shore's broken family and their own. “Distant Shores” exudes a feeling of hope for couples and families everywhere in the midst of familiar life.