Book ~ "Sea Change" (2012) Karen White

From Goodreads ~ For Ava Whalen, a new marriage and a move to St. Simons Island means a new beginning. But what she doesn’t realize is that her marriage will take her on an unexpected journey into the deep recesses of her past that will transform her forever.

For as long as she can remember, Ava Whalen has struggled with a sense of not belonging, and now, at thirty-five, she still feels stymied by her family. Then she meets child psychologist Matthew Frazier and thinks her days of loneliness are behind her. After a whirlwind romance, they impulsively elope, and Ava moves to Matthew’s ancestral home on St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia.

But after the initial excitement, Ava is surprised to discover that true happiness continues to elude her. There is much she doesn’t know about Matthew, including the mysterious circumstances surrounding his first wife’s death. And her new home seems to hold as many mysteries and secrets as her new husband. Feeling adrift, Ava throws herself into uncovering Matthew’s family history and that of the island, not realizing that she has a connection of her own to this place—or that her obsession with the past could very well destroy her future.

This book is written in first person from two different time periods ... today and and the early 1800s.  There are headers at the beginning of each chapter so you know what the time period is and whose voice it is.  In the today's period, it alternates between Ava and her mother, Gloria's voices.  In the early 1800s, it is Pamela's voice.

Ava is a midwife who meets and marries Matthew very quickly and moves with him to his family's home (it's been in the family for generations).  As she settles in, she gets to know the locals and gets involved in the historic society.

Pamela is a midwife who is married to one of Matthew's ancestors.  Her sister, Georgina, lives with them after their parents die.

I found most of the characters likeable.  Even when Gloria seemed to be hard and a bitch, I could feel her doing all she could to hold her family together.  Her mother, Mimi, is feisty!

This is a different kind of story and you have to go in with an open mind.  There is a lot going on but it all comes together in the end.  I'd recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.