Harriet Chance’s husband recently died but before his death he entered a contest for an Alaskan cruise. Harriet who had no idea about the contest was surprised to discover that she was the winner. At first she’s reluctant to go, though finally she decides to go with her best friend, Mildred. It seems that this might be a great adventure, until Mildred cancels with no explanation and gives Harriet a letter to open while on the cruise.

This is a cruise full of surprises and not all of them are good in This is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison. The novel centers on the Alaskan trip but it is ultimately about Harriet’s life as she jumps from memories throughout her life as she copes with the revelations on the cruise. At first appearance this seems to be a light-hearted novel but it delves into the darker side of Harriet’s life as she tries to accept her own disappointments and secrets.

Christina Callison

Christina Callison has been blogging about books for the library’s website since 2006. She has read hundreds of books that include mysteries, fantasies, horror, thrillers, non-fiction, general fiction, and some science fiction. She continues with her goal of finding new books and authors to recommend.