"Sometimes sentimentality is more important than practicality-at least to the heart."
This was an exquisite story of investing in what is important for future generations: friendships, faith, preservation and leaving a legacy for those who come after.
It was a nostalgic trip for me because I connected with the times and attitudes of the 50s, as well as having friends of many ethnic groups and a mother who not only grew up in China as a missionary kid, but went on to teach mentally handicapped kids.
A dual time story of friendship told in a beautiful way. Helen and Eunhee forged a friendship out of need. "A soft heart makes a soft nest, and love and honest talk make good friends."
And Grace and Cassidy carried on that legacy on the farm that Helen started. It kind of reminds me of Queen Esther. She was born for her time and for her challenges. So were our grandmothers. We are born for our time and for our challenges.
We can lean many lessons from this touching story. "Rich or poor, we each have the opportunity to invest whatever we have been given."
* I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale on behalf of the author. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*5+ stars and a strong faith thread
BackCover Blurb:
Answering
a woman’s desperate call for help, young Navy widow Helen Devries opens
her Whidbey Island home as a refuge to Choi Eunhee. As they bond over
common losses and a delicate, potentially devastating secret, their
friendship spans the remainder of their lives.
After losing her
mother, Cassidy Quinn spent her childhood summers with her gran, Helen,
at her farmhouse. Nourished by her grandmother’s love and encouragement,
Cassidy discovers a passion that she hopes will bloom into a career.
But after Helen passes, Cassidy learns that her home and garden have
fallen into serious disrepair. Worse, a looming tax debt threatens her
inheritance. Facing the loss of her legacy and in need of allies and
ideas, Cassidy reaches out to Nick, her former love, despite the
complicated emotions brought by having him back in her life.
Cassidy
inherits not only the family home but a task, spoken with her
grandmother’s final breaths: ask Grace Kim—Eunhee’s granddaughter—to
help sort through the contents of the locked hope chest in the attic. As
she and Grace dig into the past, they unearth their grandmothers’
long-held secret and more. Each startling revelation reshapes their
understanding of their grandmothers and ultimately inspires the courage
to take risks and make changes to own their lives.
Set in both
modern-day and midcentury Whidbey Island, Washington, this
dual-narrative story of four women—grandmothers and
granddaughters—intertwines across generations to explore the secrets we
keep, the love we pass down, and the heirlooms we inherit from a
well-lived life.
Thank you, Paula, for this lovely, lovely review. It made my day!!
ReplyDelete