Promises of Change (Covington)
Medlicott’s ladies of Covington return. Amelia, Grace, and Hannah are a little more settled than when we saw them last. Despite Hannah being married and Grace’s Bob living next door, they still live together, occasional prickliness and all. While they cope with getting older, their extended friends and family continue to rely on them for help and encouragement. Hannah’s husband, Max, is especially in need. His estranged son, Zachary, shows up on his doorstep with his very pregnant Indian wife. They were living in India when riots broke out, and her family insisted they seek safety in America. But Zachary has a wanderlust that won’t be denied. Grace gets involved with a young soldier returned from Iraq who has post-traumatic stress syndrome, and Amelia frets that Miriam and Sadie, her newly formed family, will leave once Miriam’s new beau arrives. Medlicott’s true-to-life characters and situations reverberate with authenticity and leave readers feeling as though they’ve been with friends. --Maria Hatton