Plane of the Ecliptic

Maggie MacKenzie is a high school librarian who thinks her life is as orderly as the books on her shelves. She has a devoted husband, wonderful stepdaughter and loyal best friend. But her life is disrupted with the arrival of her granddaughter, Julia, who is growing up to be unusually perceptive. As Maggie's connection to her granddaughter develops, she becomes haunted by dreams of two girls in seventeenth-century Scotland. Her dreams take her through a tragic era of Scottish history, and she grows mysteriously attached to the two girls. She first wonders whether this is a case of synchronicity, genetic memory or reincarnation. Ultimately, how it's happening ceases to matter as she discovers lives can be intertwined beyond the veil of time and space. With the help of a former student turned astronomer, a girlfriend dealing with her own strange relationship, a feisty Italian neighbor and a young, hip clergyman, Maggie gathers the courage to journey where the moon meets the sun and earth-a place where truth is revealed in Plane of the Ecliptic.

From the Inside Flap

Maggie MacKenzie is a high school librarian who thinks her life is as orderly as the books on her shelves. She has a devoted husband, wonderful stepdaughter and loyal best friend. But her life is disrupted with the arrival of her granddaughter, Julia, who is growing up to be unusually perceptive. As Maggie's connection to her granddaughter develops, she becomes haunted by dreams of two girls in seventeenth-century Scotland. Her dreams take her through a tragic era of Scottish history, and she grows mysteriously attached to the two girls. She first wonders whether this is a case of synchronicity, genetic memory or reincarnation. Ultimately, how it's happening ceases to matter as she discovers lives can be intertwined beyond the veil of time and space. With the help of a former student turned astronomer, a girlfriend dealing with her own strange relationship, a feisty Italian neighbor and a young, hip clergyman, Maggie gathers the courage to journey where the moon meets the sun and earth--a place where truth is revealed in Plane of the Ecliptic.

From the Back Cover

Maggie hesitantly stepped up to the edge of the bed. She hadn't held a baby since her friend, Claire, had shown off her new grandson two years before. As if transporting a rare orchid, Maggie gently carried the infant to the padded bench near the window in the back of the room. ... A cloud moved aside just then, making way for the dazzling full moon to illuminate this woman and newborn, like a spotlight on the lead characters in a play. Maggie pulled back the soft blanket for a better glimpse. Her eyes locked with the puffy blue ones peering out of the small bundle as she reached for the tiny braceleted hand. A level of semi-consciousness, resembling that of waking from a pleasant afternoon nap, consumed them both as the crying, along with all of the surrounding tension, was replaced with the faraway sound of a flute. Or possibly chiming bells. Emotions that would take years to explain, or even admit to, arose within the depths of Maggie's being.

About the Author

Karen Estes is a middle school librarian. She lives with her husband, golden retriever and calico cat in northern Idaho. Plane of the Ecliptic is her first novel.

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