July 1, 2012
In her latest, much-loved Cornish novelist Cook returns to the late 1940s Cornish town of Nanviscoe to tell a drama-filled small-town story. Widow Dorrie continues to be the sensible glue holding several families together through births, romance, crime, and even the appearance of ghosts. Her niece, Verity, returns from her honeymoon with Jack to dispel rumors of the ghost of his first wife. Jack also has to cope with the arrival of his missing sister, Stella, and her family. Their search for a third sibling consumes him, and soon he is at odds with his new wife. Young Jenna has her baby, and the town turns on the father and his parents, only to realize that they regret their actions and are trying to make amends. Some sinister folks reside among the hard-working residents, and everyone has secrets. There are an awful lot of characters to keep track of, but fans of this time period and classic British village tales will certainly enjoy this one.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)