Learning to Swim: A Novel

✍ Scribed by Henry, Sara J

• Book ID: 106929414
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 423 KB
• Category: Fiction
• ISBN-13: 9780307718389

✦ Synopsis

From

When Troy Chance spots what she thinks is a small boy being tossed off the back of a passing ferry, she instinctively jumps into the icy waters of Lake Champlain. She rescues the youngster and discovers that his arms were bound with an adult sweatshirt. He’s incredibly frightened, speaks only French, and won’t tell her what happened. Troy determines that she will keep him safe rather than turn him over to the police. When he finally begins to confide in her, he tells a bizarre tale of being kidnapped, hearing his mother murdered by gunshot, and then being held for months. As Troy tracks down the boy’s father, she begins to question whether she will be able to let him go, since he has unleashed within her a maternal instinct she had no idea she possessed. In her debut, the first in a projected series, Henry proves herself to be a smooth and compelling storyteller. And her lead is highly appealing: an athletic, fiercely independent young woman who, like crime-fiction author Gillian Flynn’s feisty females, is capable of making delightfully acerbic observations. --Joanne Wilkinson

Review

"From the grabber beginning to the heartfelt conclusion, Sara J. Henry's _Learning to Swim_ is an auspicious debut ... Fresh setting, well-realized characters, cleanly written, with a mysterious and suspenseful story - just what I was looking for." - Daniel Woodrell, award-winning author of _The Death of Sweet Mister_ and _Winter's Bone_

"Emotional, intense, and engrossing, LEARNING TO SWIM is a terrific debut. The talented Sara J. Henry introduces a thoroughly modern heroine with an independent spirit and a tender heart. Readers will be cheering for Troy Chance as she deftly navigates the treacherous waters of betrayal and loss, and they'll be looking forward to seeing her again when the book is closed."
-Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Fragile

“_Learning to Swim_ is a gut-wrenching, heart-thumping twist of the knife. A compelling tale of mystery’s holy trinity: love, loss, and betrayal. Take the plunge.”
*—*Reed Farrel Coleman, three-time Shamus Award-winning author of Innocent Monster and co-author of Tower

“From the opening page, Learning to Swim is a terrific debut. This moving and insightful psychological thriller features the inspiring Troy Chance — an everywoman hero who women will admire and men will want to meet. I can’t wait for her next adventure.” *—*Michael Robotham, bestselling author of Shatter and Bleed for Me

“From its shocking opening to its stunning conclusion, Learning to Swim is a frightening ride. Sara J. Henry will quite literally take your breath away.”
*—*J.T. Ellison, author of The Immortals and _The Cold Room

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“_Learning to Swim_ is a thriller of the most thrilling kind_—_a smart and crafty story with whiffs of Rebecca that insists from the first sentence that you sit down and not stand up again until you've read the last word. Tell your loved ones to take care of themselves.”
*—*Quinn Cummings, author of Notes from the Underwire
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_“With a strong believable cast of characters and a breathtaking plot, it's a non-stop thrilling ride that’s impossible to put down.”
*—*Cat Connor, author of Killerbyte and Terrorbyte

“If The Usual Suspects and a Jodi Picoult novel had a love child, it would be *Learning to Swim—*a thought-provoking, evocative, and thrilling read.” *—*Steph Bowe, author of Girl Saves Boy

“A mesmerizing confluence of mystery, intrigue, and suspense, with undercurrents of deep personal drama..._Learning to Swim_ will hook you from the first page."
_—Jamie Ford, bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
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"Impressive...Henry adroitly handles Troy's exposure to new emotions as she re-examines her life and relationships." - _Publisher's Weekly

_"In her debut, the first in a projected series, Henry proves herself to be a smooth and compelling storyteller. And her lead is highly appealing:
An athletic, fiercely independent young woman who, like crime-fiction author Gillian Flynn’s feisty females, is capable of making delightfully acerbic observations." - _Booklist
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"A compelling plot, a pervading sense of foreboding, well-constructed characters" - _Kirkus Review
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