A Little Ray of Sunshine

By: Kristan Higgins

Narrated by: Laural Merlington, Xe Sands, Jeannie Sheneman

Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Harlow Smith thought she had finally achieved the quiet life she wanted—a little bookstore on Cape Cod, an apartment in her grandpa's house, a more or less happily single life—when the biggest secret from her past walked into town and changed everything.

A kid walks into your bookstore and says to you, Guess what? I'm your son. The one you put up for adoption seventeen years ago. The one you never told anyone about. Surprise!

His name is Matthew Walker, and he's come to spend the summer on the Cape with his parents. Why? Well, he wants to meet you before he heads off to college in the fall. Tiny detail—he didn't tell his adoptive parents about his plan. And while you hoped this day would come someday, you're so stunned, you actually faint. You're overjoyed (and stunned) and worried (and stunned) and you've yearned to meet him, but you didn't know it would be like this. Did you mention feeling stunned?

Even more gobsmacked is your family. The Smiths looked like (and thought they were) the perfect family in town. How could Harlow, the "boring sister" who runs the bookstore with her dotty old grandfather, have a secret baby? How did she keep this secret for so long?

More than the truth of that baby will come out over the summer ahead, a summer filled with emotion as more than one secret is revealed, long-lost hurts are discovered...and one slightly lost soul realizes the best of everything is yet to come.

©2023 Kristan Higgins (P)2023 Recorded Books

Great book & narrators!!!!

I discovered this author & have listened to all of her books. Xe Sands is my fav narrator!

Heartwarming

A feel good story of love, hurt, commitment and strength--plus with a great narrator

This book touched my heart in a myriad of ways

The realizations of love and loss, imperfect but loving families, and ultimately the statements of motherhood were incredibly thought provoking. The personal growth of many characters were both realistic and hopeful. The writing and performances were equally matched. This one will stick with me for a long time!

Readers should know there’s a huge trigger

I really liked the book. However as I was reading I kept thinking “Wow, I’m glad I’ve had nothing to do with adoption because I could not listen to this book.” It was slow in places, dragging on and on about how Harlow felt when she was 18. Grandpa saved the book IMO.

Story was good but some far-fetched inclusions

I liked the perspectives of the adoptive mother, birth mother, and adoptee and all the mix of emotions that adoption can involve. Deep and painful at many levels sprinkled with love, understanding and forgiveness. What I thought got far-fetched was the birth mother having one straight sister, one gay sister, one whoring bi-sexual brother, one transgender employee, overtly sexually active parents. and a 80+ year old grandfather who is sleeping with his new girlfriend, Everybody accepts everything with grace. Possible but highly unlikely in a small town and in one family. Did not add any value to the story (distracted from the main plot really) just checked the boxes of politically acceptable and make sure you include lots of gender IDs while ignoring the challenges. . So Is everyone or every "them" happy now? Seems like that was as much of the goal as exploring the intricacies of adoption.

Wonderful!

The author hit the nail on the head so to speak! I really enjoyed it. Great job with the performance.

Emotional

Loved it! It hit me personally, and it was a total emotional book for me.

Wish this author wouldn’t always have Xe Sands

I really enjoy Kristan Higgins’ books, but I really don’t enjoy the main narrator. The other two were very good and fit their roles. Maybe if Xe Sands and the narrator for Monica were switched. Anyway- great book but painful main narrator.

Mother and child

A beautiful lesson on the love a mother has for her child and the sacrifices that she makes for that child.

perfect story

I thoroughly enjoyed this story about a very young woman who gets pregnant in her first quarter at college and the choice she has to make. It also deals with the aftermath of that decision and the impact on her future.