by Amanda Wen
This historic home holds the keys to their destiny . . .and their hearts
Abandoned at birth, her family roots a mystery, historical museum curator Sloane Kelley has dedicated her life to making sure others know theirs. When a donor drops off a dusty old satchel, she doesn’t expect much from the common artifact . . .until she finds real treasure inside: a nineteenth-century diary.Now she’s on the hunt to find out more.
Garrett Anderson just wanted to clean out his grandmother’s historic but tumbledown farmhouse before selling it to fund her medical care. With her advancing Alzheimer’s, he can’t afford to be sentimental about the family home. But his carefully ordered plan runs up against two formidable obstacles: Sloane, who’s fallen in love with both the diaries and the house, and his own heart, which is irresistibly drawn to Sloane.
A century and a half earlier, motherless Annabelle Collins embarks with her aunt and uncle on the adventure of a lifetime: settling the prairies of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The diaries she left behind paint a portrait of life, loss, and love–and a God who faithfully carries her through it all. Paging through the diaries together takes Sloane and Garrett on a journey they never could have planned, which will change them in ways they never imagined.
This warm, beautifully written split-time novel will resonate with readers looking for stories that reveal the beauty of God’s plan for our lives, and how our actions ripple for generations.
My Thoughts
A beautiful story about….roots. Yes, it may be somewhat about roots of wood and stone, but it goes so much deeper than that. Roots of… love, family, friendship, and most of all, belonging.
Just so beautiful, heartwarming, touching.
Sloane is a heroine worth reading about. I felt like I’d made a new friend. Her issues stemming back to her childhood days really touched my heart. I loved her career as a historian, and how she completely put herself into finding out about Annabelle.
And then, the story goes back to Annabelle’s days, because of her diary. (Yes, this is set in two time periods). I enjoyed greatly reading about the olden days, and trying to guess how the two different time periods might be connected.
This story is beautifully written and has some excellent truths for all of us.
I don’t want to give any spoilers, so won’t go into too much detail, but there was one specific happening in this story that is written as a coincidence, but it just felt a bit too unbelievable as it was portrayed, and didn’t feel realistic.
Overall, though I really enjoyed this story. The setting was superb, the characters a delight. I highly recommend this to anyone that likes historical fiction.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
All-of-a-kind Mom 