An Accidental Life by Laurel-Rain Snow

An Accidental Life by Laurel-Rain Snow -

From Amazon:

Product Description

Summertime is hot and dull in the Central Valley of California and four teenage girls from very different families are determined to spice it up. With a single-mindedness that foretells disaster, they push aside all the rules and explore the underbelly of valley life. Drugs, sex, alcohol, adventure, anything to challenge the norm, yet all experienced without the benefit of maturity. As the girls become increasingly uncontrollable, their mothers-from dramatically diverse social castes-are forced to work together to save their daughters. Like a tornado moving across the landscape, lives are wrenched from their foundations. Page after page, and over a period of two years, the author introduces characters who struggle to support and defeat the dreams of what began as four innocent girls desiring to taste the forbidden fruit. Laurel-Rain Snow's An Accidental Life is a fascinating look into not only the lives of very diverse family systems, but the mechanism that drives a cross-section of an all-American community.

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The story tells of four teenage girls, each coming from a difficult home life.  Bridget, living with her Mom Karin, who is divorced and is a social worker. Bridget's a quiet girl, with one friend, Fawn who is out of town visiting with her father for the summer. Feeling lonely, decides to go to the mall, something her and Fawn used to do together. At the mall she is confronted by two girls from school, Wendy and Bree. Wendy, who lives with her mom Donna and two younger brothers. Donna's had a tough life trying to support 3 children by herself, working nights in a bar while Wendy takes care of her brothers.  Bree also living with her mom Sara. Sara's had some ups and downs involving loser men, drugs and alcohol. After shopping in the mall, Bree and Wendy talk Bridget into going with them to hang out. Bridget's shy and feeling sort of nervous, decides she wants to have some fun this summer so leaving a note with her mom, heads out to the lake with Bree and Wendy.  Everyone is having fun, smoking, drinking, Bridget still feeling overwhelmed. Savannah, another girl from school, meets them, hands Bridget a joint. Bridget's never done this before and after inhaling it, starts coughing. Everyone laughs but feeling the effects, she starts laughing to.  Savannah who also comes from a broken family. A brother Tommy, her mom, Mary, a druggy and alcoholic,her dad, in prison for drug possession.  These four girls continue to hang out, calling themselves the Four Musketeers but along the way, making poor choices, and their lives drastically change.  The story also introduces the girls social workers and how their lives are affected by their job and how they live. With some surprising twists and turns! The author , who is a retired social worker, adds her expertise in the field which leaves you wondering, what is truth and what is fiction? Enjoyed reading this story and I highly recommend it.

About the author: 

A retired social worker, specializing in child welfare services, Laurel-Rain Snow has fictionalized many personal and professional experiences into her five novels: "An Accidental Life," "Embrace the Whirlwind," "Chasing Stardust," "Miles to Go," and "Web of Tyranny."

Born and raised in California's Central Valley, Ms. Snow has four grown children and seven grandchildren.

Her hobbies include reading, writing, collecting, traveling, and going to the movies.

(photo from Amazon site)

She also has quite a few blogs!! Here are some of the links:  

Laurel-Rain Snows Collections
A Rainy Snowy Day
Rainy Days and Mondays
Embrace the Whirlwind with Laurel-Rain Snow
Miles to Go with Laurel-Rain Snow
Laurel-Rain Snows Accidental Life

She has a few more blogs with beautiful writings about her fun treasures, her home and her life.

Book Review : Tender Graces by Katherine Magendie : Original post 6/16/2009

Tender Graces


What can i say? This book was one of the best books I've read in a very long time. I didn't want it to end, i wanted to keep reading , to follow the rest of Virginia Kates life.
Virginia Kate, along with her older brother Micah, younger brother Andy live with their Daddy Frederick and Momma Katie in West Virginia.
Their Momma and Daddy met when Grandma Faith invited Daddy to their house for supper . They were married shortly after but the happiness didn't last forever, they soon were arguing and fighting which escalated day by day and Daddy ends up leaving to Texas to live his Mom while finishing school. Everything goes downhill from there. I wanted to hug Virginia Kate and tell her everything will be ok and i wanted to slap Katie for destroying their kids life. I also wanted to slap their dad too and throw every bottle of booze in the garbage.
A passage from Chapter 1 : All my tired flies out the window when i see Grandma Faith standing in the mountain mists that drift in and out of the trees. She's as she was before, like one lick of fire hasn't touched her, whole and alive and wanting as she beckons me. Grandma whispers her wants as she's done all my life. I put my hand out the car window as Momma used to do, and say "Wheeee..." then holler to the owl flying in the night. "I'm Virginia Kate, and i'm a crazy woman." He keeps his wings spread to find his supper. I don't feel silly one bit.........

A Beautiful Video:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOjMJ8AnCkM]