Review: Quietly beautiful story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 29, 2014
Delilah Morrissey's dreams of being a mother are shattered when she becomes a widow. Not that the loss of her husband is that great, but becoming a mother - that's left a longing.Moving back to West Virginia to live with her sister and husband, she leaves Chicago with a heavy heart. Arriving in Wise, the small town where her sister lives, Delilah endeavours to pull her weight - despite the grumblings of her brother-in-law.When she meets Robert Thornton, owner of the town store she's not sure what to think. It has been a long time since she saw him last. When an opportunity for her to work at his store arises, she jumps at the chance.Robert is thrown when he meets Delilah after so many years. His attraction to her is immediate but even when it's confirmed she is a widow, he knows he can't pursue her - she wants the one thing he can't give her.Will working together be a problem? Will Delilah want to have a relationship with Robert when she finds out the reason why he's been holding back in pursuing her?Novella's sometimes get bad press of being too quick and not allowing for development of people or place. This isn't the case here. Thomas has created warm, inviting characters with real depth. Landscape descriptions are quick yet evoke the imagination quickly. Easily read and just as absorbing, this story is an excellent introduction to the full length novel Miracle in a Dry Season (an excerpt is included and is the debut novel of the Appalachian Blessings series), this is a story that won't disappoint. A highly recommended read.