Another Well-Written Book from Spencer:
This author has a wonderful imagination; her plots are always interesting and unusual. This story is about 2 sisters - Sarah and Addie Merritt. Their father, a distinguished newspaper publisher, raised his two girls alone after their mother ran away with a newspaper employee - never to be heard from again.
Addie ran away at 15 without a word to anyone; a recent letter to Sarah says that she is working as a maid in a boardinghouse in the Dakota Territory. Sarah comes to share with her younger sister the news that their only parent has died; Sarah sold off everything and pulled up stakes to live with her sister - if she can find her.
This story shows the reader that part of the human condition is the necessity to forgive others. Some forms of forgiving are easier than others - as various people in this story find. Those unable to forgive reach a stalemate and cannot move along their learning path (that we call life).
Sarah's love interest (Noah Campbell) is one of the most stubborn men ever to grace Spencer's pages. This is alright because he is perfectly matched with one of the most bullheaded women ever born - Sarah. I think Spencer did a wonderful job of gradually getting the two combatants to soften their stance. It seemed very realistic because it did not happen overnight.
I thought the ending was a bit abrupt; yes, the ending was expected but it took 375 pages to get there. The main event, however, was covered in less than 5 pages. Still, the book is very, very good - enjoy!
4 stars
