The Castaway

In this dreamy but pedestrian novel, a sweet but vague conclusion to Rivolta's Sarasota Trilogy (after Alex and the Color of the Wind), a husband grieves the loss of his beloved wife Marianne who died in New York City in the 9/11 tragedy. A Sarasota, Florida businessman gets lost at sea in a catamaran and is found off the Yucatan Peninsula. His memory foggy, his identity uncertain, ""Joe the Yankee"" is befriended by Padre Brian, a helpful Jesuit priest who has his own problems. Joe also meets Sara, an attractive kindergarten principal, and as Joe and Padre Brian bond, Joe finally remembers who he is and begins to deal with his past. Padre Brian notices that Sara and Joe make a good pair, and he encourages their romance; despite moments of envy, Brian reveals to the couple his former life as a financial analyst and his own ill-fated marriage. As both men struggle to accept the past and move on, Rivolta makes a gentle point about love, faith and grief.