Growing up, Eden was used to her father, David’s, whimsical ways. He was always letting her stay home from school to go on adventures with him. Eden’s mother constantly was at odds with David and his inability to hold down a job just added to the household tensions. When Eden’s father returns home after a short stay in a mental hospital, 10-year-old Eden finds him on the floor of their bathroom having slit his wrists. This attempt on taking his life leads to Eden’s parents divorce.
Twenty years later Eden has a successful catering business. Since that fateful day all those years ago Eden has seen her father only on rare occasions. She occasionally hears that he is living on the streets or staying in a shelter. Eden, who has poor attempts at relationships with men, wonders if perhaps if she could try to repair her relationship with her father would help her be a better person for someone else. While searching for her father, Eden meets Jack.
Jack is everything Eden would want in a man. He is kind and thoughtful. Jack also decides to help Eden find her father. Yet as the two get closer to what Eden is looking for, more comes to surface than she had planned. Secrets her mother had kept, and the question of if her father even wants to be found.
I thought the synopsis of this book was engaging. A story centered around mental illness and what it does to the family living with it. While the story unfolds through Eden’s eyes, you also slowly learn of what it was like for her mother to be in love with a man that just could not keep it together.
Narrators Candace Thaxton, and Corey Brill create a flawless flow throughout this read. A book that would work well for a summer read, Outside The Lines is an interesting look into a family trying to move on. The end comes together a little too neatly, but still worth a read or listen.
- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 10 hours and 29 minutes
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
- Audible.com Release Date: December 10, 2013
Book Journey 
I read this book a couple of years ago – would be intrigued to see how the audio changes it – I like how she takes potentially volitile topics and addresses them (with a conclusion) – one of her other books addresses alcoholism
It is my first book by her.
she is a member of one of my Goodreads groups – really nice, for as dark of topics she writes about
I can’t stand hearing about people doing that to themselves, but this does sound like an interesting read.
It was an interesting listen.
This sounds like it would be difficult to read or listen to, yet engaging. Thanks for a good review, Sheila.
Thanks Suko it was a good listen. Its fairly light as most of the focus is on Eden and Jack, her connections to her father are almost secondary but they are what ties the story together 🙂
I just finished Inside the O’Briens which dealt with a family living and coping with Huntington’s disease. Was an emotional read like this one.