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The Pelican Tide

By: Sharon J. Wishnow
Narrated by: Sophie Amoss, Joe Knezevich
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Publisher's Summary

After disaster strikes, a Louisiana family and their community need to prove to each other and the world that their bond is thicker than the oil threatening their shores in Sharon J. Wishnow’s stunning debut novel.

It’s taken Chef Josie Babineaux six months to reconcile the debts left from her husband Brian’s gambling along with her broken heart. But now with a promising tourist season heating up and a travel magazine declaring her the spice queen of the bayou, she may be able to save her family’s historic Cajun restaurant. Repairing her relationship with her daughter, Minnow, while hiding the true reason she left her husband is a bigger issue.

Just as the first tourists arrive, an explosion on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico shatters their fragile plans. With her island community at the epicenter of the oil spill, everything is endangered, including the restaurant’s beloved mascot—a brown pelican dear to the family’s heart.

Josie realizes her family needs more than financial recovery. Only reconciling her past and revealing the truth can clean up the guilt and hurt pooling under the surface. And maybe, with enough honesty, this family can find renewal.

©2024 by Sharon J. Ritchey. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic Reviews

“Food, family, and second chance romance: Sharon J. Wishnow’s debut has everything I love in a novel—and a few things I didn’t even know I loved until I read The Pelican Tide. I can’t recommend this engrossing and utterly heartwarming story highly enough.”—Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Good for You

“Set in Grand Isle, Louisiana, in the wake of the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill, The Pelican Tide is the story of a family in turmoil, a historic café, and a beautiful but fragile ecosystem under threat. A layer of oil sludge coats the local beaches and estuaries, fishing is banned, tourists disappear, and the entire island community faces tough decisions. Against this backdrop, Josie and Brian struggle to hold their marriage together while trying to ensure a future on the island they love. In this assured debut, Sharon Wishnow creates a strong sense of place and deftly brings the natural world of this Gulf barrier island to life. Readers looking for a heartwarming story, memorable characters, and the delights of a wayward pelican named Gumbo will be richly rewarded.”—Rebecca Hodge, award-winning author of Wildland

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.