The Prayer Box
*Starred Review* On the run from a powerful, abusive ex-husband, Tandi Jo Reese finds refuge in a deserted caregiver’s cottage on Hatteras Island. The locals assume that she’s there to take care of the main house, and they offer her friendship and support. Hiding from a wealthy criminal is a harrowing endeavor, and things are especially difficult for Tandi, since she has two children. Tandi then discovers the unusual heritage left behind by the deceased owner of the big house, Iola Ann Poole, who kept a prayer box for each year of her life. As Tandi reads the contents of each box, she is inspired by Iola’s rich life and absolute faith. But Tandi’s road to faith and trust is not an easy one. She still has the tendency to choose the wrong kind of man, and her teenage daughter’s rebellion is out of hand. With a careful eye to detail and a beautiful, lyrical style reminiscent of those of Mary Alice Monroe and Patti Callahan Henry,  Wingate vividly sets Tandi’s struggles in a once beautiful Victorian mansion now falling to ruin and guarded by a cranky cat in a small town recovering from the ravages of a hurricane. --Shelley Mosley