C.K. DeLaughter

Twelve-year-old Cole Wright dies while saving his younger brother from drowning during a swimming accident at his Mississippi home. After six minutes of CPR, Cole returns to life after being in a place that seems foreign, enlightened, and beautiful. The message that is embedded in his young mind after this experience is that he has a soul mate that he will lose forever if he does not find her. The only clue that remains is the name that was on his lips as he was being revived—Naomi. As he grows older, Cole wonders if his near-death experience was a dream and tries to forget it, but he still can’t shake his need to search for the unknown Naomi. Rose Broussard, born near the Mississippi river in a poor Shotgun house on the edge of New Orleans’s French Quarter, wonders about her future. Despite her talent and creativity, Rose’s parents’ addictions and abusive behavior deaden her own ability to imagine a future for herself. The mother of her best friend, a renowned psychic, agrees to give Rose a reading in the hope of helping her find her way in life. During the reading, she reveals that Rose has a soul mate who is looking for her. Cole and Rose meet obstacles that seem destined to keep them apart, but tragic events pull them closer. Rose cannot understand why she is drawn to this boy from Mississippi, when her future seems centered in New Orleans. The big question for Cole is where is Naomi and why am I drawn to this girl named Rose? Twists and turns and unexplained incidents make both teens question the validity of their relationship. Do Rose and Cole dare to believe that they are eternal soul mates?