But the Spanish flu epidemic changes everything. Faced with her aunt's death, Arthur's indecisiveness, and four children who have no one else to care for them, Rebeka is torn between the desire to escape the type of life she's always led and the unexpected love that just might change the dream of her heart.
My Thoughts:
Rebekah is young and somewhat naive, and the situation she finds herself thrust into is more than most 19-year-old's would be prepared to handle. Instead of caring for her ill aunt as she originally thought, she finds herself the sole caretaker of a stranger's farm and four young children! It's way more responsibility than excitement and adventure-seeking Rebekah expected, and the last thing she wants is to be stuck on a farm like her parents before her were.
Though it interferes with her life plans and dreams, she admirably shoulders the semi-temporary responsibility. She has some ups and downs, but it's fun and encouraging to see how she grows and matures as the story progresses. With maturity, and a growing love for the children in her care, she comes to the realization that the life she never wanted might just be better than anything she ever dreamed of.
The writing style is first person, told entirely from Rebekah's viewpoint. I always love when books are written in first person, but it's fairly uncommon in historical novels so I particularly appreciated it here. Rebekah has several possible love interests; usually I can immediately spot the characters that will end up together, but this one fooled me.... In a good way, though! :) It turned out exactly as it should, and in the end I was very glad she didn't end up with the one I originally assumed she would.
This is Anne Mateer's debut novel, but it certainly doesn't feel like a debut. It's an excellent offering; I really enjoyed it. If you're a fan of historical fiction, this is one you won't want to miss!
My Rating: 5 stars
No comments:
Post a Comment