The Color of Light

By Karen White

An emotionally moving novel of a woman in search of a new beginning and a man haunted by the past—from the New York Times bestselling author of the Tradd Street novels.

At thirty-two, Jillian Parrish finally finds the courage to put herself in the driver’s seat of her life.  Pregnant and recently divorced, she and her seven-year-old daughter find refuge and solace on Pawleys Island, South Carolina—Jillian’s only source of happy childhood memories. Summers spent at her grandmother’s beach house had been Jillian’s sanctuary from indifferent parents—until her best friend Lauren Mills disappeared, never to be found.

Linc Rising, Lauren’s boyfriend and Jillian’s confidant, had been a suspect in Lauren’s disappearance. Jillian had never doubted his innocence—but because her parents had whisked her back home to Atlanta, she never got a chance to tell him. Now, a resentful Linc is back on Pawleys Island—renovating the old Mills house. And as ghosts of the past are resurrected, and as Jillian’s daughter begins having eerie conversations with an imaginary friend named Lauren, Jillian and Linc will uncover the truth about Lauren’s disappearance and about the feelings they have buried for sixteen years...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Release date: Jun 7, 2005
• ISBN: 9781101117927

Karen White

Karen White is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-five novels, including Dreams of Falling and The Night the Lights Went Out. She has two grown children and currently lives near Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two spoiled Havanese dogs.

Reviews for The Color of Light

[judithrs · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Color of Light. Karen White. 2005. What an easy read after Blood Meridian and Wise Blood. White is a step above a lot of Southern Romance writers. She reminds me of Anne Rivers Siddons. Just divorced, pregnant Jillian takes her young daughter and returns to Pawley’s Island, N.C. The island is the only place she’s ever felt safe and loved. Grace, her daughter, who has imaginary friends immediately starts talking to a new friend, Lauren. Lauren is the name of Jillian’s best friend who disappeared without a trace years ago. Linc has also returned to the island. He was Lauren’s boyfriend who was blamed for her disappearance. There you have it: all the elements for a good southern romance!

[tanya2009_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jillian Parrish newly divorced and pregnant with her second child returns to the only place she has happy memories to start her life over. This book has love, mystery and secrets to keep the reader interested.

[darla_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Both NAL and Berkley/Jove were really pushing this one, and I don't know why. Women's fiction with a mystery & romance, and it wasn't bad, but it was really pretty standard. I could see all the plot twists coming a mile away, and I've read this identical plot dozens of times before.

[anchoragedonna · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well written. Good story. Going back to the beach solves all problems.