Being a lovely day yesterday, I thought I would spend an hour or two reading this novel in the garden. That hour or two turned into a whole day, as I couldn't stop turning the pages. I very rarely write what a story is about for fear of spoiling for others, but I do highly recommend. It is the first time that I have read any novels by this author and it certainly will not be the last.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers. This is my honest review.

Robin Lee has changed her stars. She had a horrible start on life. But, she changed everything about herself, including her name. She married a wonderful man and had a beautiful child. Then, her child developed leukemia. She must face her past and what she has done to save her little boy.

I have a love-hate relationship with this book. I wanted to bail on it a few times. However, Robin Lee’s present and her past kept me reading. The story itself keeps you interested enough to keep reading. It is the characters which are lacking. They are one dimensional and hard to relate to. I dislike Robin Lee’s husband. He is arrogant and judgemental, especially of her. The conversations are forced and labored. I know conversations are extremely hard to write and I may be being too harsh. This just really detracts from the story. I rolled my eyes in several places.

A good read with a few problems. If you can get past that, you will enjoy this tale!

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

In Willowood, Kentucky 1965, after a severe beating and rape Robin Lee Carter set a fire that killed her rapist and ran. The resulting rape left her pregnant and after having the babe which she gave up for adoption she left again to reinvent herself. Legally changing her name to Catherine Henry, she went to school and later married a medical school dean living in Tucson, Arizona. In 1985, when their 5-year-old son, Michael, is diagnosed with a chemotherapy-resistant leukemia, Catherine is desperate to find a bone marrow match and must return to Willowood. There she will face her family and her 19-year-old son, a product of her rape, whom she gave up for adoption. Though her return will likely lead to a murder charge, Catherine is willing to lose everything, including her life, and beg in order to save her dying 5 year old son.

Wow, it has been a long time since I actually sat and read a book cover to cover in one sitting, but this was one of those rare times where the reader becomes so invested in the outcome that you simply cannot put it down! Not only was A BEND IN THE WILLOW that compelling and written so powerfully, it was also a new author I had never read before! My only issue and it is so minor, was reconciling the title with the story.

The early portion of A BEND IN THE WILLOW held the story of a struggling family, with a loving mother, her three children, and their father who suffered from PTSD following his service in Vietnam. A changed man from the loving, caring man her mother described to a young Robin Lee. And with the beginning portion fully covered the reader gets to see and feel the emotional impact of all the motivations that lead to this powerful character driven novel.

Bottom line: Loved this story! I can’t describe more without giving spoilers, but this is a powerful story and I could see this on the big screen as a major motion picture. One note to new readers, have some tissues handy as there are parts where you will definitely need them. Ms. Clayton-Gardner wrote beautifully capturing real emotions of real people who have struggled through life and you will have to lay this novel down more than a few times to re-compose yourself in order to continue. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Marilyn Rondeau

A Bend in the Willow is a beautifully written, haunting story that will draw you in and make you want to not put it down until the last page. Even then, you'll be wishing there were more. I loved this book, the story is full of emotion and deals with some heavy issues, but in such a way that it's not disturbing. Rather, I wanted to know more about each character and fortunately, Susan Clayton-Goldner delivered, giving insightful backstory to each one, making them come alive on the pages. Make sure to have some tissues handy, especially toward the very end. This is a book that I believe would make an excellent movie.

A Bend in the Willow

Susan Clayton-Goldner



A BEND IN THE WILLOW is a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. It is filled with twists and turns that you never see coming. I found myself holding back tears at the same time as I was trying to breathe. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I just had to know what was going to happen. Susan Clayton-Goldner makes the characters very real and relatable that you can't stop your heart from breaking while reading. I have not read this author before but after reading this heart breaking story, I will gobble up everything she writes.


Catherine is hiding a huge secret from her husband, Ben. When her son gets injured and it uncovers an even bigger life changing diagnosis, she finds the life she created for herself crumbling. A BEND IN THE WILLOW will give you pieces of her past as you read and you will be shocked at what Catherine has endured especially when she was a young girl. She ran away from the girl she used to be and now, she finds herself right back where all the horror started. She confesses to the very ones who thought she was lost forever to them. It's been twenty years since she has seen them, but for the sake of her beautiful son, she must do what she has to do to save his life.


A BEND IN THE WILLOW is a gut wrenching story that is going to shred your heart just the way it did mine. I understood why Ben was shocked but at the same time, I wanted to shake him and tell him the past belongs in the past. I fell in love with Catherine's brother Kyle and her niece Loralee. I truly believe A BEND IN THE WILLOW would make an awesome movie and everyone would want to go and see it. I was so emotionally invested in all the characters and their lives that I just couldn't put this book down. I wish I could give this beautiful and heart breaking story ten stars.

Book blurb...

Willowood, Kentucky 1965 - Robin Lee Carter sets a fire that kills her rapist, then disappears. She reinvents herself and is living a respectable life as Catherine Henry, married to a medical school dean in Tucson, Arizona. In 1985, when their 5-year-old son, Michael, is diagnosed with a chemotherapy-resistant leukemia, Catherine must return to Willowood, face her family and the 19-year-old son, a product of her rape, she gave up for adoption. She knows her return will lead to a murder charge, but Michael needs a bone marrow transplant. Will she find forgiveness, and is she willing to lose everything, including her life, to save her dying son?



My thoughts…

A Bend in the Willow will both warm and break your heart.

Be prepared for a powerful and emotional journey with Catherine Henry as she endures much. A very well written and plotted novel, I felt like I was by her side as she travelled back to her birth place in search of family to save her son.

This novel is a tale of love and hate, between parent, child and siblings, and about the lies that tears a family apart.

Definitely for the 2017 to be read pile and right up there on my list of top reads.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Tirgearr Publishers for the ARC of "A Bend in the Willow" by Susan Clayton-Goldner. The plot starts when Robin Lee Carter, a 17 year old, after being raped contributes to a fire that kills her rapist. She disappears leaving her old life behind, and is able to find happiness now married with a young son. Now known as Catherine Henry ,everything seems perfect until her young son needs a donor transplant to save his life. The only relatives that could possibly save her son's life exist in Catherine's other secret life she left behind. That secret could destroy Catherine's life but save her son. Susan Clayton writes about betrayal, forgiveness, family, trust and love. I felt very emotional reading this intriguing story, and would highly recommend this . This novel is adult fiction with a touch of mystery, and twists and turns.