jjares reviewed on 9/9/2021 + 3413 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

By the time I was just a few pages into this story, I couldn't put it aside. This is much more than a romance; there are deep emotions that bubble up to the surface in this difficult family situation. Fiona comes to Michigan to teach and is told that she will live with a host family of Haydn (who are paid for her lodging and meals). She is assured that they are some of the finest folks around.

That is NOT what Fiona finds. Rose, the mother is rageful and only tolerates the second son, Flem, a ne'er-do-well who avoids all farm work. Broderick, her husband, has had a stroke and Gray, the elder son, tends to his needs. The two sons are antagonistic towards each other. Gray does the farm work and Flem courts the ladies and gambles at night.

Fiona worries about her mother (who went to live with her sister in Chicago) and being a good teacher. There were a couple of conflicts that seemed resolved a bit too easily, but the dialogue and the pacing were excellent. This is a great story, with a romance stirred into the pot. The more of Ruth Ryan Langan I read, the more I enjoy her work. Overall score = 4.5 stars.

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