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33rd out of 89 books
—
52 voters
The Mailbox
Centered on a real landmark on the coast of North Carolina, The Mailbox blends intriguing folklore and true faith with raw contemporary issues that affect every woman.
When Lindsey Adams first visits the Kindred Spirit mailbox at Sunset Beach, she has no idea that twenty years later she will still be visiting the mailbox—still pouring out her heart in letters that summarize...more
When Lindsey Adams first visits the Kindred Spirit mailbox at Sunset Beach, she has no idea that twenty years later she will still be visiting the mailbox—still pouring out her heart in letters that summarize...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
June 1st 2010
by David C. Cook
(first published 2010)
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Loved, loved, loved this novel. I love the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It's been far too many years since I was there, but I have very fond, warm memories of spending time on Okracoke and Cape Hatteras. So, the North Carolina beach setting of this story was appealing to me. I've never been to Sunset Beach, which is south, near the North/South Carolina border, but I certainly want to go now. I want to visit the Kindred Spirit mailbox, which is a real mailbox on Bird Island.
The story is told t...more
The story is told t...more
The Mailbox was reminiscent of a Nicholas Sparks story- it had all the same sort of elements. There's heartbreak, redemption, second chances, young love, and renewed love. For Ms. Whalen's first book, this was a pleasant read. There is a mailbox at Sunset Beach, North Carolina. It is called the Kindred Spirit. There are notebooks and pens for visitors to share their stories with the Kindred Spirit who reads what they write. It becomes a place of special meaning to Lindsey and Campbell. It is som...more
I knew really nothing about this book when I picked it up. I remember that it had been suggested to me by some online group. It was just a filler while I waited on another book. I was pretty sure it would not be a book that would truly capture my attention.
I was completely wrong! I instantly knew I would like this book when I read in the acknowledgements that the author thanked her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I was astounded! This was a Christian book? Not only that, but the author was one tha...more
I was completely wrong! I instantly knew I would like this book when I read in the acknowledgements that the author thanked her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I was astounded! This was a Christian book? Not only that, but the author was one tha...more
The Mailbox by Marybeth Whalen is a great romance about a real life mysterious landmark in North Carolina. When Lindsey Adams was just fifteen, she fell in love on vacation in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, with Campbell Forrester. Before the teens parted at the end of the summer, Lindsey left a letter behind in the Kindred Spirits Mailbox. It's a mailbox where anyone can leave a message in notebooks or on loose leaf paper, and an unknown person regularly cleans out the letters and replaces the w...more
MY REVIEW:
Since last Fall I have enjoyed reading Marybeth Whalen's blog and have anxiously awaited the arrival of her first novel - The Mailbox. Marybeth is a talented writer and this book is truly a piece of artwork in black and white.
In The Mailbox, Marybeth creatively weaves together a story that crosses the past with the present as you learn of the old and the new all at the same time. The main characters were easy to relate to and understand as they grappled with serious life choices. Thei...more
Since last Fall I have enjoyed reading Marybeth Whalen's blog and have anxiously awaited the arrival of her first novel - The Mailbox. Marybeth is a talented writer and this book is truly a piece of artwork in black and white.
In The Mailbox, Marybeth creatively weaves together a story that crosses the past with the present as you learn of the old and the new all at the same time. The main characters were easy to relate to and understand as they grappled with serious life choices. Thei...more
If you read ONE book on your summer vacation this year – make it The Mailbox! This book made me cry at the end and very few books move me to the point of tears.
I adore this book and after reading it, I added Marybeth Whalen to my list of favorite authors. Marybeth’s writing is so vivid and descriptive that I could hear the seagulls crying, the waves lapping on the shore and almost feel the sun on my skin as I read. This book is about the discovery of first love and the joy and heartache that som...more
While this book didn't "wow" me, I was pleasantly surprised by how good it actually was. I was interested right from the very beginning, and I found myself not being able to put it down after a certain point, although it was a pretty quick read. The whole mailbox part of the plot was so intriguing to me — and I love that it's actually a real thing in North Carolina!
For me, Lindsey was such a relatable character. Still haunted by a teenage summer love affair that happened when she was fifteen, L...more
For me, Lindsey was such a relatable character. Still haunted by a teenage summer love affair that happened when she was fifteen, L...more
I fell in love with this book before I even read it. First of all, it’s a debut novel. I’m probably boring my readers by repeating myself over and over, but I just have a thing about debut novels. I love to read new authors and fresh voices. I also fell in love with the setting. I live in North Carolina and even though I have only lived here for three years, it is my home state and I love. I have not been to Sunset Beach where this book takes place, but you just cannot go wrong with a beach book...more
Jun 25, 2010
Molly
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Molly by:
FIRST
Shelves:
book-review
This debut by Marybeth Whalen in an ABSOLUTE must read. While I will admit that this story really wrenched my heart, it did it in a way that did not turn me away from reading this book. I could relate strongly to Lindsey, and somewhat, to Campbell as well. But it was all truly heart wrenching for me for many, many personal reasons. I read it in literally one day, because it was that wonderful and I wanted to keep turning the pages to see what was happening next. The style this author used to por...more
Book Review
The Mailbox
Marybeth Whalen
When attending the She Speaks 2010 Conference a couple of weeks ago, I was privileged to receive an autographed copy of Marybeth Whalen’s debut fiction novel The Mailbox. Marybeth has served as the general editor of For the Write Reason and The Reason We Speak. In my opinion, The Mailbox is the first of many highly successful fiction books for Marybeth.
Here is part of the back cover summary:
“When Lindsey Adams first visits the Kindred Spirit mailbox at Sunse...more
The Mailbox: A Novel is a heartwarming beach read set, of course, at the beach. When she is in high school, Lindsey visits Sunset Beach with her aunt and uncle. While there, she meets Campbell, who she thinks is the love of her life. He introduces her to The Mailbox (which the author says really exists). The Mailbox holds paper and pens for those who wish to write to The Kindred Spirit. No one knows who he or she is. Lindsey begins a yearly ritual of going to the mailbox and telling the Kindred...more
While the premise was promising and there were some brief moments of nice writing, I felt that the author got lost, at times, in a message she wanted to teach versus a story she must tell. At other times, she seemed to focus in on odd details that left me wondering why her editor let them slip through. Ultimately, my major problem with the book was the rushed way in which Campbell and Lindsey are suddenly and without much ado are reunited with professions of love after nearly 20 years of absence...more
If you've ever messed up in your life, you will relate to Marybeth Whalen's characters in her debut novel. Set on a beautiful beach (if you've been there, you'll agree), and using an actual mailbox labeled Kindred Spirit, Whalen explores just what it means to be a Kindred Spirit.
Others have mentioned Nicholas Sparks, and it's hard not to think of his novels when reading this one. Both take place on a beach in NC. Both involve lovers who are heartbreakingly separated but have a second chance. The...more
Others have mentioned Nicholas Sparks, and it's hard not to think of his novels when reading this one. Both take place on a beach in NC. Both involve lovers who are heartbreakingly separated but have a second chance. The...more
Over the course of 20 years, Lindsay Adams visits the same beach house owned by her aunt and uncle. Over that same span of time, she leaves a yearly letter at the end of each summer in the mailbox tended by the Kindred Spirit. Lindsay's first visit comes when she's just 15 and she meets an amazing boy named Campbell Forrester, who quickly becomes her first love. Though Campbell lives on the island and Lindsay further away, they make a pact to continue their relationship over the year, to be reun...more
I wish I would have read this book two months ago - maybe rather than a cool, almost autumn day, it would have gone down on a better hot summer day. Then you as the reader could be on a beach vacation with the characters of the book.
It started off with such promise - kind of a Nicholas Sparks meets somewhat Christian fiction. But about halfway through, the story became predictable, the characters lost some of their effervescence and I started skimming just to get through the book. The two main c...more
It started off with such promise - kind of a Nicholas Sparks meets somewhat Christian fiction. But about halfway through, the story became predictable, the characters lost some of their effervescence and I started skimming just to get through the book. The two main c...more
The Mailbox is a wonderful novel. Written very well, we go back in time and then in the present but you don't even notice. The way Ms Whalen writes this, you will want more and more..
We have a just recently divorced mother of 2, who is going to her aunt and uncle's beach house where she spent her summers as a teenager and has taken her family every year since. She hopes to get away to recouperate after just getting through with the divorce. However she has an old love that lives full time at Sun...more
We have a just recently divorced mother of 2, who is going to her aunt and uncle's beach house where she spent her summers as a teenager and has taken her family every year since. She hopes to get away to recouperate after just getting through with the divorce. However she has an old love that lives full time at Sun...more
I grabbed this book to take with me to the beach for a "Saturday read"....what a great pick!
The combination of sand, salt air and sun made the story of Lindsay and Campbell and "Sunset Beach" come alive even more and kept me engrossed for hours...until I finished this enchanting read in one sitting despite the mini-sandstorm blowing around my chair! Marybeth Whalen has crafted a beautiful love story - one of true love and the longing of acceptance, understanding, and forgiveness not just from s...more
The combination of sand, salt air and sun made the story of Lindsay and Campbell and "Sunset Beach" come alive even more and kept me engrossed for hours...until I finished this enchanting read in one sitting despite the mini-sandstorm blowing around my chair! Marybeth Whalen has crafted a beautiful love story - one of true love and the longing of acceptance, understanding, and forgiveness not just from s...more
Sunset Beach, North Carolina has a lone mailbox called the Kindred Spirit setting out on a lonely stretch of beach with paper and pencil for you to leave your thoughts. Lindsey has been visiting the mailbox for twenty years to leave her thoughts on her yearly summer visit. Campbell has lived at Sunset Beach all his live regretting his actions as a teenager. Dealing with the problems many of todays families are facing the reader is drawn into the story with the feeling they are the Kindred Spirit...more
The Mailbox: Marybeth Whalen
As a pessimist, it’s difficult to believe one can reconnect with a long lost love and have it amount to anything more than a blip on life’s radar. However, my aunt reconnected with her high school sweetheart after nearly thirty years and has now been married to him for fifteen years. That makes the idea plausible for me and Marybeth Whalen breathes life into it with The Mailbox.
As a teenager, Lindsey is introduced to the Kindred Spirit’s mailbox at Sunset Beach. Her...more
As a pessimist, it’s difficult to believe one can reconnect with a long lost love and have it amount to anything more than a blip on life’s radar. However, my aunt reconnected with her high school sweetheart after nearly thirty years and has now been married to him for fifteen years. That makes the idea plausible for me and Marybeth Whalen breathes life into it with The Mailbox.
As a teenager, Lindsey is introduced to the Kindred Spirit’s mailbox at Sunset Beach. Her...more
THE MAILBOX, the debut novel of Marybeth Whalen, was probably the first purely romance book I've read in quite some time. Well, I'm just going to have to change that bad habit!
This book was delightful. The characters were so deep and their reactions to the situations around them showed realistic flaws. I could see myself reacting the very same way, with hurt and resentment, and resistent to resolve those feelings.
I love the way Ms. Whalen dealt with some pretty difficult topics. Grace and forgiv...more
This book was delightful. The characters were so deep and their reactions to the situations around them showed realistic flaws. I could see myself reacting the very same way, with hurt and resentment, and resistent to resolve those feelings.
I love the way Ms. Whalen dealt with some pretty difficult topics. Grace and forgiv...more
This book started out promising -- interesting premise, decent writing. Letters are part of my own love story, so the whole mailbox idea does seem rather romantic -- even if they aren't love letters but letters to the anonymous "kindred spirit" (whose mailbox really does exist out on some Carolina beach). And, since this is written by a Christian author, I could count on a squeaky-clean read (it is).
By about halfway through the book, though, I had grown disappointed. I wasn't really impressed wi...more
By about halfway through the book, though, I had grown disappointed. I wasn't really impressed wi...more
Book Review: The Mailbox by Marybeth Whalen
For years, Lindsey has taken a trip to 'The Mailbox' on the beach, where she writes to the anonymous Kindred Spirit. Each summer, she pours her heart out in her letters.
This year will be the first where she'll have to admit that her marriage is over, and she is at the beach without her husband. Lindsey is reminded of her first love, and the hurt she felt when he betrayed her.
When he shows up in her life again, Lindsey will have to decide if she can open...more
For years, Lindsey has taken a trip to 'The Mailbox' on the beach, where she writes to the anonymous Kindred Spirit. Each summer, she pours her heart out in her letters.
This year will be the first where she'll have to admit that her marriage is over, and she is at the beach without her husband. Lindsey is reminded of her first love, and the hurt she felt when he betrayed her.
When he shows up in her life again, Lindsey will have to decide if she can open...more
The first 2/3 of the book were very innocently written and made the author seem inexperienced in her writing because the lines she used have been used soooo many times before. It was in the last part of the book, also where the story picked up momentum, that it caught my interest. However, it could also be because I am a hopeless romantic and this is a somewhat predictable plot for a romance novel. Regardless, there were enough messages and lessons throughout the book to give me new perspectives...more
The Mailbox set on an isolated beach in North Carolina is the perfect summer beach read. It's a love story told through flashbacks and letters but unlike some, it's easy to follow as each chapter and letter is dated and there are limited characters to keep track of in the story. I loved The Mailbox and look forward to more books by Marybeth Whalen.
Stop by my blog: www.reneesuz.blogspot.com on 29 June to read the first chapter
Stop by my blog: www.reneesuz.blogspot.com on 29 June to read the first chapter
I wish I would have saved this book to read in the summer. It would have been a perfect pool book. I loved it and it reminded me of some of my teenage romances. I also know quite a few women affected by divorce, and this book gave me a glimps of how much it sucks for both the adults and the kids. Great story of hope though! I really enjoyed it.
A perfect beach read woven around the folklore of Sunset Beach, NC. The mailbox exist in the middle of nowhere on the beach and attracts locals and tourist year round. This is the story of one womans visit to the mailbox and how it stays in her life forever, never changing though almost everything else does. I highly suggest it.
This was a book I saw on the Family Christian Bookstore flier. I got the book last night and finished it this morning. It was a good book that kept my interest. It shows how our actions have consequences and if we are meant to be with someone it may just work out. It was an interesting read and alot like the notebook.
One of my favorite novels of 2010, it's in my top 2 ;) I highly recommend this wonderful novel by Marybeth Whalen. I couldn't put it down. It was a beautifully moving story, with well crafted, real and inspiring characters. I hope to make it to the mailbox myself one day! :)
I REALLY liked the author's other book, "She Makes it Look Easy" so thought I'd read this one too. It was good. Would be a fun summer read. A Christian romance all about 2nd chances. Reminiscent of a Nicholas Sparks novel.
The writing wasn't that great. I was glad it didn't resolve smoothly, though, from the beginning it seemed a bit contrived and impossible. I love the idea of a Kindred Spirit mailbox and think there should be on in every town.
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Marybeth Whalen is a member of the Proverbs 31 Ministries writing team and a regular contributor to their daily devotions, which reach over 350,000 people each day. Her first novel, The Mailbox, was released in June 2010. Her next novel, She Makes It Look Easy, was released in June 2011. Additionally, she serves as director of She Reads, Proverbs 31 Ministries’ fiction division. Marybeth is the wi...more
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