Meredith gets a letter that brings back a flood of bad memories. Her cousin Cal Jr. has died and has bankrupt the family farm, Aurelia. She doesn’t want to go back there to relive painful memories yet she feels the need to go through her deceased parents belongings before everything is sold. She calls her sister, who barely speaks to her and she makes it clear that Meredith is on her own.
Cal has an affair with an already married Lavinia. She settled for her husband because he was a doctor, so had some status in town. However she is bored silly with the older, conservative man. She soon divorces and marries Cal. When she moves to Aurelia, she makes grand plans to make it the richest farm in the Iowa town. Cal goes along with her plans every step of the way but as the family grows they have more and more secrets. Lavinia is a master manipulator and gets her husband, younger sons and grandsons to do her bidding.
Nelle Davy swooped me into the story and never let go. This book will haunt me for many years to come. In fact I read it a few months ago and cannot get it out of my mind. Her writing is fresh and vivid. My only complaint, and it is fairly minor is that when it came to a girl in town, Lavinia’s manipulations were a unbelievable to me. That said, I felt like I was part of the family living through the tragedies and abuse. I read at night and I spent two sleepless nights reading this novel. It is hard to sleep when your heart is pounding so hard!
Also reviewed by:
Books and Needlepoint
Colloquium
Thanks to Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. for this book and for offering a copy for me to giveaway to one of my lucky readers.
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