Review: Finding the balance between freedom to stay and freedom to leave
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 6, 2012
A sweet small-town romance, Doria Hiers' Small Town Treasure sends a young woman back to the small town of her youth and threatens to keep her there. Emily Mannerson's childhood wasn't easy, and somehow she learned to view her neighbors' kindnesses just as different ways to say "Poor Emily." She didn't want to be poor so she left, succeeded, and built a new life for herself. But now her adoptive mother's ill and she's back, just for a little while, to care for her. Landing in hospital on her first day home wasn't Emily's plan. Nor was waking to the face of her one-time boyfriend watching over her.Matthew stayed in the small town when Emily left, his plans for their future together abruptly shattered. Now he lives a comfortable life with family, friends, neighbors and church forming the treasures of his small town. If only Emily could be persuaded to stay.Treasured relationships, jobs, locations and people all come to the fore in this short novella. Perhaps God has a treasure in store that requires more of Matthew and Emily. And perhaps they'll both learn to take that step which allows the treasure to grow. Small Town Treasure is a sweet peaceful story with the promise of hope and a future sustaining it. If you've just enjoyed the fireworks of Independence Day, enjoy these fireworks too and learn that balance between freedom to stay and to leave.Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy of this novella. Thank you!