When Dr. Camilla Dickinson's teenage granddaughter confronts her with the disquieting question of whether Camilla is, in fact, her grandmother, long-kept secrets rise to the surface to test the faith, love and loyalty of the Xanthakos family. This skillful, gripping tale shuttles between past and troubled present, providing clues to a multigenerational mystery -- clues that begin to focus on Camilla's son, the deeply troubled TV idol Artaxias, and on Camilla's mother, the irresistibly beautiful and adulterous Rose. Though riveting and psychologically complex, A Live Coal in the Sea is "infused with the warmth of love and mercy" (*Booklist*), showcasing the keen eye and deep compassion that have made L'Engle one of this century's premier writers on faith and its place in human experience.
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2 primary booksCamilla is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 1951 with contributions by Madeleine L'Engle.
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Short Review: I liked this, especially since it was written about 45 years after the first book in the series and approximately 45 years passed in the time of the story. This is Camilla in her mid to late 60s. Most of the story is either directly telling her granddaughter about her own life or the life of her family or memories that are brought on by the stories.
There is a twist that I didn't expect at the end and that solved the book a little too neatly for my taste. Especially since the book as a whole seemed to focus on the messiness of the actual world.
I have one reservation about the book that is pretty spoiler-y. I have a discussion about it on my longer review on my blog.
The longer review is posted at http://bookwi.se/a-live-coal-in-the-sea/
