"Allen interweaves the dreams of the father and daughter, slowly bringing them to reality. The characters are drawn well. The details of Chris' life--his painting and woodworking are compelling and well crafted." When a near fatal accident separates a single father from his daughter, fate has a way of finding her a good home. While Chris fights for his life in a coma for nine years, his daughter Krista is raised by a couple with good intentions who have no idea how to properly raise a child. Gilmer has wild ideas that he doesn't think through. Maggie knows the basics, and figures the rest out as she goes. But there is one thing they have in common, the love for the little girl who stole their hearts while her father was absent. When Chris awakens from his coma, his amnesia keeps him from remembering he has a daughter. Putting his life back together, he takes to furniture repair and then design. But, he picks up a paint brush one day when an apparition of a little girl soon starts haunting him even while he is awake. He captures scenes of her on canvas, but can't figure out what connection they have. While he paints who he has affectionately been calling Angel, she becomes more and more real to him. Years go by and Chris has developed an entire life with a girl he knows only through paintings. He keeps them locked up in a private room while his other paintings have gained notoriety throughout the art community as the "Insider's Secret." The exposure he is getting brings him face to face with Maggie and a teenage girl named Krista. Something strange suddenly stirs in both of them. Family is a strong connection. Even when it's the one you adopt, not the one you come into this world knowing. A River in the Ocean is a heartwarming tale about two lost souls. He didn't know he was looking and she didn't know she needed found.