When Joseph Gaston’s wife dies he is left to care for their four children on his own.  This is during the great depression and he lost his job.  Many people encourage him to break up his family.  After all, how can a man care for children without a woman? 

Joseph refuses and with just a few suitcases he takes the children across Canada from Ontario to Philibuster, Alberta.  His brother, the Great Henri had sent him an ad for a job and with an employment letter in hand, he makes the move.

When they arrive, he tries to come to the rescue of a vagrant being beat up by the police.  This does not give a good first impression with the local police chief.   Henri and his wife Tilda have little themselves but what they had they gladly shared with Joseph and the children.  Henri finds a room in a rooming house for Joseph and the children to live and Tilda gladly volunteers to take care of the children at her house when Joseph is working.

Joseph goes to his new employer bright and early the next morning only to find the job was given to somebody else.   Every day he drops the children off for Tilda to care for them while he looks for work.  Everyday Tilda grows closer to the children, especially the two girls.  She is unable to have children of her own. 

In Dinner With Lisa we follow the ups and downs of an unforgetable family during the 1930’s depression.  The characters are well defined and quirky.  R.L. Prendergast captures the history and landscape in vivid prose with a dash or humor.  This historical fiction struck a home run for me!

5/5

Disclosure:  I received this book from the author for my honest review.  I also set up the virtual book tour promoting Dinner With Lisa.  This in no way shaped my opinion of this book.  I truly loved it.

Be sure to enter my giveaway of Dinner, here.  There are also many other giveaways of the book at other tour stops.  For the full schedule, go here.

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