Review by Booklist Review
Rachel Watkins runs her family's dilapidated boardinghouse in Carlson, Minnesota, while raising her orphaned niece and working as a midwife. Her older sister, Alice, lost her husband, Mason, in WWI before he knew she was pregnant, then died the day Charlotte was born. That was also the day Rachel's mother retreated to her bedroom and stayed. Eight years later, Rachel is trying to save their home from a predatory banker, keep her drunken uncle in line, and fend off the advances of an odious boarder. Charlotte and her beloved dog find a desperately ill hobo. Rachel brings him to the house, and is stunned when she finds out who he is. This is classic Garlock: a dramatic story in which good triumphs over evil and everyone gets their just desserts.--Tixier Herald, Diana Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The prolific Garlock (The Moon Looked Down) returns to a familiar setting-a smalltown boarding house run by a struggling young woman-in her true-to-form latest. In Carlson, Minn., circa 1926, Rachel Watkins ekes out a living overseeing an inn owned by her mother and her likable drunk uncle. She's also a part-time midwife, just as her mother was before Rachel's sister, Alice, died while giving birth to her daughter, Charlotte. Eight years have passed since Mason Tucker, Alice's husband, was presumed dead in WWI, and now Mason's greedy brother, Zachary, wants to force Rachel's family to sell the boarding house. But when Charlotte discovers a shell-shocked hobo with a familiar voice living in a decrepit cabin nearby, she begins to think that he's Mason. As Rachel and her family try to outwit Zachary, love blooms in heartwarming, predictable Garlock fashion. If you've read Garlock before, you'll know what to expect. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
In the aftermath of World War I, and with the tragic deaths of both her sister in childbirth and her brother-in-law in the war, it's all Rachel Watkins can do to raise her eight-year-old niece, Charlotte, care for the rest of her relatives, and run the family boardinghouse. But when Charlotte discovers a delirious drifter hiding in a shack, Rachel agrees to take him in, suspecting that he just might be Mason Tucker, her supposedly dead brother-in-law. A greedy banker and a lecherous boarder add to the mix in this poignant, engrossing story of life, death, and second chances that pits strong characters against tremendous odds and lets them win. VERDICT Well written and swiftly paced, this story brings to life a time period that is seldom-used in romance. A touching read for most popular fiction collections. Iowa-based Garlock (The Moon Looked Down) is noted for her realistic yet romantic family-centered stories set during the first half of the 20th century. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
