Jocie Brooke has never wanted for love, despite the fact that she hardly remembers her mother. Jocie’s father, preacher David Brooke, has done his best to be both father and mother to his daughter. Even Jocie’s spinster Great-aunt Love, who’s slowly going senile, cares for Jocie in her own stern way. But in their small town of Hollyhill, Kentucky, painful secrets lie just beneath the surface, and inquisitive spirits discover surprising truths. There’s a reason why Aunt Love hides behind black dresses and a stoic countenance. And David takes his morning walks not just for quiet solitude, but to wrestle with the past.
Full of stories of lost loves and the trials of small-town living, this heartwarming novel explores the journey of faith and family.
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Sexual Content - 1/5
1/5
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Violence - 1/5
1/5
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Language - 1/5
1/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 0/5
0/5
Summary
I am left struggling with whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars. It has a strong redeeming message, and in the end is a great story. For some reason it took me about two thirds of the way through the book to finally get totally absorbed into the story. It's not that the story line is bad¬¬it just isn't compelling. It seems to take forever to get to the reason for there to even be a story. However, once that reason begins to be revealed, I was taken with it and couldn't put the book down. In fact, I am actually interested in reading the sequel. I have to scratch my head and wonder why the author chose to go with the scent of lilacs in the end of the novel instead of the scent of locust blossoms which plays significantly in the first part of the novel. I think sticking with the locust blossoms would have lent some cohesiveness to the story¬¬a kind of thread that would further tie together the hearts of father and daughter. All that said, it is a decent story . . . if you can hang in there!