I've talked a lot on this blog about the first Book, The River, and its sequel The Ocean which are part of the two novel set.

I have not said a lot about the novella that follows.

The Beach was released for free in PDF format in the World Public Library about three years ago and it was only written about four years ago, unlike the first books that were mostly finished by the end of 2001. It takes Rocket from the eve of 9/11 to the dawning of the Obama Administration though most of the action takes place in the spring of 2002 in Atlantic City.

I debated quite a bit whether I really wanted to take this story publically where it ends up because it presents a departure from the Love Story about Ronnie and Shelly. It involves a love story of a different sort and I won't spoil it for you now in this spot.

Krissy Shooter is a lot younger than Ronnie and she's a wild child. She is, as Ronnie says, his soul mate and daughter Lana, who is about Krissy's age, cracks "why is the soul mate always so much younger?"

Lana has more of a role in this book. In the second book, The Ocean, she was seen mostly as a teen ager.