Isn't this cover beautiful?
Description:
Focused on a career in medicine and not on romance, Willa Duvall is thrown slightly off course during the summer of 1865 when she discovers a never-opened love letter in a crack of her old writing desk. Compelled to find the passionate soul who penned it and the person who never received it, she takes a job as a nurse at the seaside estate of Crestwicke Manor.
Everyone at Crestwicke has feelings--mostly negative ones--about the man who wrote the letter, but he seems to have disappeared. With plenty of enticing clues but few answers, Willa's search becomes even more complicated when she misplaces the letter and it passes from person to person in the house, each finding a thrilling or disheartening message in its words.
Laced with mysteries large and small, this romantic Victorian-era tale of love lost, love deferred, and love found is sure to delight.
About the Author:
Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears and A Rumored Fortune. She loves tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives and is eager to hear anyone's story. She lives with her husband and their two kids in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan. You can find her at www.jdpstories.com
My Thoughts:
I’ll go ahead a say it - I adored this story! I haven’t read anything from Joanna Davidson Politano since her debut novel, something I shall have to rectify very soon. I was drawn in from the very first page and couldn’t wait to see where the story was going to go! The complexity kept me wondering and the beauty in so many of the lines had me wishing I had a pen and paper nearby to write them down. I definitely have a “book hangover” from this one and I don’t regret one moment of it.
As it’s been a while since I’ve read anything from this author, I had no recollection to create expectations. That being said, I had also forgotten what a great storyteller she is! From the mystery surrounding the letter, to the many characters whose hearts were revealed through an anonymous letter, I was captivated by this story of love lost, love found, and so many questions of what true love looks like. Much of this story comes from the perspective of Willa Duvall as she searches for the writer of the letter, as well as answers to the many questions she has regarding her life and purpose. I loved watching her grow in compassion and wisdom, as well as finding answers that surprise and challenge her. The story also comes from a few other characters, as the letter makes its rounds through a household of broken and hurting people.
There’s so much of this novel that pulled on my heart, but I think my favorite part was the hope that is woven through a telling that is at times difficult and broken, while also somehow being beautiful and healing.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction full of twists, turns, and so much hope.
As always, thanks so much for stopping by! I'm not sure if I'll manage another review before Thanksgiving, so just in case -
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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