REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"Sometimes love requires a grand gesture, but most of the time it requires patient persistence."
Claire Roth had already learned the lesson of patience, but newly married Lena Hawkins was barreling down the road of unexpected challenges at a high rate of speed. Lena and her husband Preston had gone from riches to rags almost overnight when Preston's speculative investments on the stock market had crashed along with much of the nation's economy. Lena's upper crust upbringing had not prepared her for poverty and her affluent parents refused to support the newlyweds, having discouraged the union from the beginning.
When Lena and Preston move to the Lake Toxaway area to live with Preston's brother and wife, Lena crosses paths with the widowed Claire Roth whose money and prestige had survived the economic downturn, and whose philanthropic heart sensed a kinship with her young neighbor, offering her a job and time spent with someone wiser to the ups and downs of a young marriage. Along the way Claire is offered a second chance at love, testing her resolve to put her own past to rest in order to embrace an entirely different kind of future.
What a wonderfully written story about two women at different stages of life whose experiences criss-cross the gamut of trials and triumphs, offering a poignant reminder that troubles breed strength.
"There's nothing like thinking you've lost everything you care about to make you willing to do whatever it takes to start again."
*I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book from the author and publisher. I also purchased a copy. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.4.5 stars
WINNIE'S REVIEW:
Talented author Sarah Loudin Thomas brings history to life in her new book, These Empty Places. Well-researched with a richly painted setting near Lake Toxaway in North Carolina, this story is built around the dam break that gutted the lake in 1916 and the Great Depression that occurred later. The characters are realistically flawed but engaging, and I enjoyed seeing them evolve, mature, and realize what is important in life.
The tale is centered around two ladies, Claire Roth who rejected the man she loved for a life of comfort by her beloved lake, and socialite Lena Hawkins who married the man she loved but ended up penniless when he lost everything speculating in the stock market. The two women’s lives converge when Lena and her husband move to Lake Toxaway for work. Through hardships, hard work, and life’s difficulties, they all become stronger and more compassionate.
Themes of forgiveness, hope, and becoming stronger through adversity make this story an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
BackCover Blurb:
When their worlds are upended, two women brought together by their loss discover what truly matters most.
Claire Roth sacrificed love for a life of comfort on Lake Toxaway--until the dam broke, and the lake washed down the side of the mountain. Fourteen years later, she longs to see the lake restored to its former glory even as the country faces hard economic times on the eve of the Great Depression.
Socialite Lena Hawkins married her first love, who swept her off her feet after skyrocketing from rags to riches by speculating in the stock market. Now penniless and rejected by her family, Lena and her husband have arrived at Lake Toxaway for a fresh start. There, Lena forms an unexpected connection with Claire, who hires her to assist with the personal library Claire is building to provide jobs and education for their struggling North Carolina community. When Claire is given a second chance at love and Lena a tempting chance at a life of independence, both women must release the past to fill tomorrow with promise.
Sarah Loudin Thomas paints a rich Southern historical story of friendship, second-chance romance, and new beginnings set in small-town North Carolina on the eve of the Great Depression. This read is perfect for book clubs and fans of Patti Callahan and Lisa Wingate.
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