“People change when they come to Moonberry Lake. They shed their old skin and emerge into something new.”
This debut book was such fun to read. It had so many quirky, yet believable inhabitants of this small town and an underlying faith thread that caused me to think about the need for friends and family.
Cora inherits the lodge that her grandparents once owned and it has so many fond memories. She is now alone in the world after her mother’s death. She is required to live in the lodge for a year and she starts to restore the old building. She befriends elderly Kitty, a caretaker of the cemetery across the road. Kitty is a wealth of sage advice: “God gives everyone a special talent, and sometimes it is simply to make life sweeter for the rest of us.” She meets her neighbors, including the local dentist, Ben, in an unusual way.
A stand out character is Marry-em and Bury-em Widgy who learned her handy woman skills from her five husbands. She is hilarious. It took Cora some time to break through her crusty shell. Another quaint person is the deli clerk who keeps a Reader’s Digest handy so she can practice the vocabulary she is gleaning from its pages.
This reminded me of The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kipp by Sara Brunsvold but with many more unusual characters to love in this book.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Library Thing. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*5 stars and an underlying faith thread
BackCover Blurb:
Cora Matthews's life is a mess. A broken engagement and the unexpected death of her mother have left her wondering if things will ever return to normal. Whatever "normal" is.
It certainly isn't what she finds at Moonberry Lake. After she receives her family's dilapidated lakefront lodge as an inheritance--with a surprising condition attached--Cora finds her life overrun by a parade of eccentric neighbors who all have something to say and something to teach her.
As Cora works to put her life back together, she must decide if she is willing to let go of the past, open her heart to love, and embrace the craziest version of family and home she could ever have imagined.
Available in digital ebook, paperback, and hardcover
Buy ON MOONBERRY LAKE at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House
Fabulous review, Paula!! I am looking forward to reading this one this month :)
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