Alaina Lund is angry at the new hired man. Until now, she has been her father’s right hand in the orchards, and she would be happy to spend forever in the trees with her adoring father. But now her emotionally distant mother says it’s time for the eighteen-year-old to learn the duties and boundaries of a woman of the 1910s—and Alaina’s mother is forcing the issue with her husband.
Nephi Erickson is the quiet Mormon who has been hired to help Samuel Lund work his fruit farm in the California Sierras. But soon the beliefs of this unassuming outsider will begin to unravel the lives of the Lund family—and Alaina must struggle against the duplicity of one she believes she can rely on. Perhaps Nephi can help her get what she so desperately needs.
One of the comments on the back cover of this book by Darla Isackson describes my feelings exactly. "Gale Sears captures the magic of historical fiction and breathes life into her characters. I relate to them, care about them, and want to know more about them. I eagerly await her next book." I was thoroughly taken in by the characters. I wanted to help them solve their problems, I cried when they were sad and rejoiced when they were happy. I don't think that there was anything extra special in this story - it's just that the author has a bit of magic in her telling of it. I could visualize everything so clearly and just like any good book - I was really sad when it came to an end. I truly hope that this story has a sequel coming because I still feel like there is more to the story to be told. Reading this book was a wonderful experience and I'm glad I was able to have it.
