After the Ocean

How do you find your way back when you’ve left yourself behind? Filled with emotion and intrigue, in this compelling novel a painful unsolved mystery from one woman’s past resurfaces years later—and sends her on a mission that will impact her family in ways they never could have expected …

Thirty years ago, musicians Emilia Oliveras and Paul Winstead were married in Puerto Rico.

Forty-eight hours later, Paul vanished from their honeymoon cruise, leaving Emilia devastated—and the prime suspect in his disappearance. So, she ran for her life, leaving behind her love, her dreams, and her identity.

Today “Emily Oliver” is a divorced music teacher and mother of two daughters who know nothing about her past: Gracie, a talented attorney who excels in the courtroom but grapples with personal relationships, and Meg, a gifted concert pianist who wrestles with her ambition and purpose.

When a cryptic caller claims the unthinkable—that Paul is alive—Emily returns to Puerto Rico in search of the truth. What she doesn’t know is that her daughters aren’t far behind.

Shocked to find their mother isn’t the woman they thought she was, Gracie and Meg wonder how much of their lives have been a lie.

As the paths of the three women intertwine, they are compelled to confront their pasts, reevaluate their relationships, and seek forgiveness. Together they embark on a quest to unravel the mystery of Paul’s disappearance and redefine their futures on their own terms, navigating a maze of family ties, secrets, and redemption.

"Lauren Rico's absorbing story touches upon social injustices and moral ambiguities, but at its heart, After the Ocean is a poignant reminder that healing cannot begin without truth and forgiveness."—Jamie Beck, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author