Review: A Real Gem That Will Not Disappoint!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 22, 2014
This was a very engaging story.  The storyline was rather an unusual one from my reading experiences, and I liked it--a lot!  The story had substance and the characters were so well developed, that you really forget this is a short story.  The main characters are two incredible people who find each other, and help to heal one another.  Mimi is a strong African American heroine, who fights her way through adversity.  She is sensitive, caring and very intelligent.  She values the things in life that are not material, and strives to make her dream--the ranch, work despite many setbacks.  Gabriel is such a great hero in this story.  He is the caretaker of the property, and he's a virtual recluse who never comes indoors winter, summer, fall or spring--no matter what the weather.  No one really knows why.  We find out why as the story progresses, and Mimi handles his "emotional disability" with such understanding and powerful insights.  There is some action near the end of the story that was unexpected, and added another dimension to the story.  There are some humorous moments as well.  While I doubt many black women would make a hasty decision to leave our home and possessions and buy a ranch sight unseen.  Nonetheless, I think everyone can relate to wanting to leave the big urban cities to experience the freedom, beauty and smog-free places in the US.All said, this was a most enjoyable, substantive short story that almost feels like a regular full-length novel.  While this is a black woman/white man story, race really is not an issue.  You don't want to miss out on this little gem.  I will be waiting for any future offerings by Ms. Phillips.