Now in My Bookbag: Ties That Bind, by Debbie White

The publisher of this work provided, through NetGalley, a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Author Debbie White has written a story that has an interesting plot. The events depicted are fairly easy to follow, and the details understandable. The main character, Patsy, takes us on an incredible journey through her life story.

There are many ups and downs throughout. The potential to connect with the segment of readers who are adopted, or know only one birth parent, presents during Patsy and Charles’ expedition to investigate Patsy’s true lineage. The last fourth of the book, or so, elicits several emotions, and offers plenty of opportunity for tears. This is the part of the book that provides the strongest connection to most readers.

However, there is much work to be done on the punctuation… especially commas. There are a very many places that are missing appropriate commas, plagued with too many commas, or a comma is simply inserted at the wrong place. The book needs another proofread. Also, a few of the sentences need restructuring, and the flow needs a bit of work. I am sure that another edit can rectify these concerns.

I like the concept of the book. I love the focus on family. There is an honesty concerning topics like depression, child neglect, and the search for biological connections to the past, and it is very refreshing. I can also appreciate White’s attention to detail on the realities of aging, care taking, and death of a loved one.

With some tweaking, this can be a great book, rather than a good read.  3 1/2 Stars