The Sirens of Soleil City: A Novel By Sarah C. Johns

West Palm Beach, 1999. Fifty-eight-year-old Cherie Anderson is called from frozen Minnesota to assist her two mothers: Dale, the mother who abandoned her at five and now faces eviction from Soleil City, a budget-apartment complex, and Marlys, the mother who raised her and is dying but refuses to admit it. Cherie needs a reason to stay in town long enough to help both women and to support her pregnant daughter, Laura, whose marriage has collapsed just weeks before her due date.

The solution seems to be the South Florida Senior Synchronized Swimming Competition. Winning the contest and its ten-thousand-dollar prize could save Soleil City. Laura, a former dance team captain, becomes their coach, giving the women a fighting chance. With the competition as their focus, Cherie can concentrate on aiding Marlys.

Over a month in the lively apartment complex, filled with strong-willed women in their seventies, three generations of women navigate their complicated relationships. Cherie, Dale, Marlys, and Laura learn to own their mistakes and rebuild their bonds. They discover that in life and motherhood, there is no clear distinction between good and bad—there’s only the effort to get it right.

As they prepare for the synchronized swimming competition, they find resilience, forgiveness, and the strength to offer second chances. This witty, touching story of resilience, forgiveness, complicated family dynamics, and second chances highlights the power of trying to get it right despite past mistakes. 📚❤️