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Darlene Jones
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When the Sun was Mine Kindle Edition

by Darlene Jones (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 39 ratings
Her dream was to go to university. Instead she’s in a nursing home hunting a killer.
When high school graduate, Brittany Wright, gets a job cleaning at Happy Hearts nursing home, she is terrified of old lady Flo and desperately wishes she could be in college instead.

An unlikely friendship develops between the two. Brittany discovers that Flo, who may or may not have Alzheimer’s, is in grave danger. But, from whom and why?

As Flo’s condition worsens, Brittany scrambles to save her. But, ironically, it may be Flo who saves Brittany.

When the Sun was Mine: If you like suspenseful mysteries with complex and strong characters you’ll love this adult read, hopeful and humorous in spite of the ugliness of Alzheimer’s.

Buy When the Sun was Mine to experience a unique friendship steeped in intrigue and surprising twists.
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  1. Print length
    185 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    October 6, 2015
  4. File size
    5.5 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

When the Sun Was Mine is more than a mystery; it captures the essence of multi-generational friendship. This book reminded me of the senior citizens that I became friends with when I volunteered in a nursing home right out of college. It also touches on the issues that affect both the young and old, from the expense of a college education and life planning to elder care and end of life issues. The mystery bridges the gap between two divergent generations to show us that friendships can truly transcend anything. Darlene Jones does a wonderful job of not only weaving a compelling mystery, but showing readers the beauty of friendship as well. When the Sun was Mine... A delightful story with endearingcharacters. The main character, a feisty woman called Flo, will capture yourheart. A most enjoyable story which will having you chuckling at the verybeginning even as you're touched by the reality of life--chuckling andsympathizing with the often unfairness of the human condition and how somepeople, both young and old are takenadvantage of and at times even abused. The friendship between Flo and youngBrit and the mystery found between the pages are both engaging and well told. Agreat read.

About the Author

Many years ago a young girl left the safety of Canada for adventure in Africa. This was in a generation when young girls didn't go anywhere on their own and certainly not to the "the dark continent." I had to adapt to the climate, the culture, the language, and above all time travel, for most Malians lived the way they always had. Modern conveniences consisted of basic items such as kerosene lanterns and little else. It was the plight of Malians that inspired me to begin writing. Now that the Em and Yves series is complete, I've found that I'm hooked on writing and have moved on to other genres.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B016C6DWI2
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 6, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.5 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 185 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 39 ratings

About the author

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Darlene Jones

Darlene Jones

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Darlene Jones is a retired educator and writer. A graduate of the University of Alberta she was a teacher, principal, second language consultant, and staffing officer with Edmonton Public schools. Her multiple roles included second language curriculum development for secondary students. After retiring she continued to provide educational workshops for teachers in the province of Alberta.

She began her career as a volunteer with Canadian University Services Overseas. She taught school in Mali and it was the plight of the Malians that inspired her to write her first novel—science fiction—described by readers as a “think piece.” She continues to write fiction that incorporates topics such as world affairs, aging, and Alzheimer’s, with the added mix of adventure, romance and humor.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
39 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's story engaging, with one review highlighting its mystery and love elements, while another appreciates its portrayal of intergenerational friendship. The writing receives positive feedback, with one customer describing it as an expertly crafted page-turner.

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4 customers mention "Story quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's story, with one customer highlighting its mystery and love elements, while another appreciates how it masterfully portrays the developing friendship between characters from different generations.

"...It's a brilliant literary touch because it creates a confusion in the reader that provides a brief glimpse into how it must be for Flo, who moves..." Read more

"...It's a sweet story, that's also sad, but I couldn't put it down. It was lovely, despite the ugliness of Alzheimer's, and I would recommend this..." Read more

"...There are moments of true poetic beauty as a delicate, unusual friendship develops between a young girl (Brit) and an old lady(Flo)...." Read more

"...Author Darlene Jones masterfully portrays this developing friendship...." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one describing it as an expertly crafted page-turner.

"...It takes a talented author to bring us contemporary issues that not only entertain but cause us to pause and wonder at the possibilities for our..." Read more

"Thanks Darlene! Great Book! I enjoyed the story of the feisty old lady and the awkward teens...." Read more

"Expertly written, suspenseful, the mystery grips you from the first page...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Book Addict
    5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding story!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Flo and Brittany. Brittany and Flo--a relationship born in shock and fascination, breaking down age barriers immediately. No spoilers in here, but the opening of When the Sun was Mine is filled with mystery and love stories, which leads the young Brittany into an exploration of herself and her views on the elderly. Flo guides her through both.

    I enjoyed When the Sun was Mine because of the growth and development of the relationship between the young Brittany and the much older Flo.

    Set mostly in the nursing home, Happy Hearts--the greatest misnomer of all--this novel addresses something rarely touched in writing. The author takes us inside the mind of Flo, suffering from the early stage symptoms of Alzheimer's--or is she? Because of the mystery slowly unraveling at the center of the plot, the reader is never sure if Flo is faking the symptoms to aid her investigation, or if she really doesn't remember some things. It's a brilliant literary touch because it creates a confusion in the reader that provides a brief glimpse into how it must be for Flo, who moves back and forth between and through the shadows of her memories and her present existence.

    Those beginning stages of this disease can be the most challenging for loved ones and the most terrifying for the patient.

    I know from experience with an aunt and a brother. When both of my relatives knew they were declining and knew they were defenseless against what was happening, they broke my hearts in their helpless knowledge. My brother, a respected and innovative mathematician, felt frustrated in those early days.

    "There's plenty of material out there for the caretakers of the Alzheimer's patient," he told me. "But I can't find a thing about how it is for me, the patient."

    He still had those moments of lucidity, and in those moments, he was anxious to find out all he could before he had a setback where he wouldn't even be able to remember the word for what he had.

    Ms. Jones takes the reader on that journey into the mind of the Alzheimer's victim in her characterization of Flo. Yet she manages to prevent the novel from devolving into a dark abyss by using humor through Flo's own antics and the inexperienced fumblings of her young accomplices, Brittany and two of her friends.

    Mystery mixed with contemporary realities provide for an enjoyable read because once the reader sees Flo in all her naked honesty in that first chapter, the ride surprises us with its twists and turns.

    It takes a talented author to bring us contemporary issues that not only entertain but cause us to pause and wonder at the possibilities for our dreams, no matter our age or condition. And Darlene Jones has achieved that in her latest novel, When the Sun was Mine.
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  • Sheila
    5.0 out of 5 stars Flo and Brittany are the Two Most Unlikely of Friends, But It Doesn't Matter When They Begin a Journey Together.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Thanks Darlene! Great Book! I enjoyed the story of the feisty old lady and the awkward teens. Such a complexity of developing friendships, mysteries, and teen makeovers. You covered a lot of ground with this one, and had me laughing and crying, and rooting for the "good guys!"

    This is an adult read, that is delightful, interactive, and bittersweet. Brit meets an Alzheimer's patient, named Flo in a most unusual way. Despite this, the spunky elderly woman decides to help makeover Britney and one of Brittany's friends. Flo and Brittany develop a unique bond. Flo gets into trouble and needs help, and her young friend, Brittany gets fired. Brittany fights back by bringing her friends to help Flo. They help Flo investigate the strange things that are going on in the nursing home. There's definitely something mysterious going on around at the nursing home, and as things start to unravel and come to a conclusion, Brittany and her friends are also bonding with Flo, despite her having Alzheimer's, and they're learning a lot about life and the world that they live in.

    It's a fantastic story about friendship between different generations, and the horrible effects of Alzheimer's Disease. If you've ever been around someone with Alzheimer's, you know how fast it changes people, and robs them of their identity, and their ability to care for themselves, and always ends in their death. In the midst of this disease, a group of people who don't have much in common, except a genuine affection that they develop for one another, come together to work towards a common cause, and the elderly Flo and Brittany, develop a bond that fills the void, and transforms both of their lives like a brilliant ray of sunshine on an otherwise cloudy day.

    It's a sweet story, that's also sad, but I couldn't put it down. It was lovely, despite the ugliness of Alzheimer's, and I would recommend this book to anyone that has ever wondered if it's possible to still have the ability to reach out to another human, and to "touch the sky," when this happens to you, or a loved one. It's a celebration of life in one of life's most difficult and demanding learning curves.
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  • BobTheElder
    4.0 out of 5 stars Young adults tackle an elderly womans' problem
    Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2017
    An sick and neglected woman is rotting away in a run-down, decrepit nursing home, or is she. As the story progresses a young newly hired cleaning girl develops a friendship with the lady, named Flo, who is not quite as far gone to Alzheimer’s as the head nurse imagines her to be. Flo tells the young girl, Britt, about atrocities committed against her but Britt wonders are they real or imagined. Finding Flo bound to her bed one morning she is convinced and gathering a band of similar adventurous teenagers she determines to get to the bottom of why Flo and possibly others at Happy Hearts Home are being mistreated.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Wendy Unsworth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery and Friendship at The Happy Hearts Home.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 12, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I wouldn’t very often put it this way but… what a joy this book is.
    From the start I loved the writing style, easy and flowing and real. Basically it’s a mystery. Flo, suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, is a resident at the Happy Hearts old people’s home and the name couldn’t be any further from the reality of life in this awful establishment. Brittany has just started work at Happy Hearts; she may be young and highly embarrassed at her first meeting with Flo but she’s not the shrinking violet she at first appears to be – Brittany has ambition and guts and Flo is the very person, the very reason, to finally bring her true character to the surface. With the help of her mum and friends she begins to investigate the goings-on at Happy Hearts and, as she does so, her regard and fondness for Flo grows.
    There is also so much more to Flo than first meets the eye. She has led a very interesting and productive life but, we learn, she still has more to do. What I particularly liked about this story is the way Flo’s illness is represented. She seems to have moments of confusion and moments of clarity but the feisty Flo of former years is definitely still there, so much so that there were times when I questioned the real extent of her condition. Having close experience of mental illness I know that this is the true dilemma of family, friends and carers, the terrible uncertainty and the constant evaluations, never quite knowing if you have a true handle on the situation.
    Having said that, there is a symbiosis between the two women, young and old. Flo is never the defensless old lady waiting for rescue; she is as determined to help her young protégé as Brittany is help her.
    The relationship between Flo and Brittany is at the heart of the story and the author manages this with a humour and warmth that never detracts from the overall plot.
    Very, very enjoyable!
    Oh – and I loved the cover.
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars The first paragraph grabbed my attention and the remainder of ...
    Reviewed in Canada on October 25, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The first paragraph grabbed my attention and the remainder of the book held my attention. Despite the fact the main characters were hormonal teens attempting to solve the mystery of a moody, stubborn / elderly woman suffering with Alzheimer, I found I was able to identify with them. They had substance and I found myself wanting to help them solve their life problems and eagerly turned pages to find out what happened.
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