Lavender Tide

A community mailbox links two women across time in this overbusy contemporary from Ayers (Waiting for Sunset). In 2023, Brooklyn Marshal returns to her hometown of Sunset Beach, N.C., to recover from an abusive marriage. She finds comfort in riding her lavender bicycle to the Kindred Spirit mailbox, where townsfolk leave written confessions and requests for help. One such missive puts her in touch with Logan, an attractive real estate agent who helps Brooklyn find housing for a local woman. But as the chemistry between them intensifies, Brooklyn’s vengeful ex appears, threatening the relationship. The second timeline begins in 1963 as Trisha Malone, the original owner of the lavender bicycle, struggles to keep her faith after her boyfriend is drafted into the Vietnam War. The Kindred Spirit mailbox pulls Brooklyn and Trisha together in the present as each turns to God for help starting a new chapter in her life. While the bond between the two women is affecting, the narrative arc too frequently gets lost in a tangle of story lines, backstories, and symbols. It’s a mixed bag. (Dec.)