When Light Breaks

By Patti Callahan Henry

New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan Henry delivers a novel that explores the power of lasting love through the connected stories of two women from opposite sides of the sea.

Twenty-seven-year-old Kara Larson is bogged down in the stress of planning her elaborate wedding to a professional golfer. Still, to fulfill the requirements of the Palmetto Pointe Junior Society, she makes time in her busy schedule to visit an elderly woman at a nursing home facility. Soon she finds herself mesmerized by the singsong Irish lilt of ninety-six-year-old Maeve Mahoney as Maeve recounts the rambling story of her first love back in Ireland. Or, Kara begins to wonder, is she really retelling an ancient tale of myth and legend? Waiting for the story to unfold in bits and pieces, and trying to discern the underlying truth, Kara is drawn in--and driven to remember her own first love: childhood neighbor Jack Sullivan. Gradually she realizes that before she embarks on her new life, she must find out how her own story--with Jack--will end.

"About all the things that make us worthy as human beings--integrity, honesty, and living the life you are meant to live....A triumph!"--Dorothea Benton Frank

"A passionate, unforgettable novel of self-discovery, regret, and the illuminating power of love."--Mary Alice Monroe

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Published May 1, 2006

304 pages

Average rating: 5

2 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Margie Pettersen
Oct 27, 2025
4/10 stars
Kara, a 27 year old woman living in SC meets Maeve and elderly Irish woman who tells her a fascinating story about a former love of hers. She asks Kara who was her first love and to go find him. However, she is engaged to marry a pro golfer and all the plans for the upcoming wedding have been put in place. So, why is she thinking about Jack Sullivan, the boy she kissed when she was 14?

I found the book predictable and it did not hold my interest. There was a lot about professional golfing and golf tournaments. The only part of the book I liked was the times when Kara visited Maeve in the nursing home and listened to her stories about life in Ireland. Maeve did have some sage advice and made Kara think about love and what is important in life.

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