Mercy McClain is confronted by her childhood nemesis Aaron
Firebrook when he applies for a teaching position at the school where she is a
member of the school board. Arron (then
called George) had been a bully and had offended multiple people in his younger
days. While waiting for the school board’s
decision, Aaron takes a job as groundskeeper at the mansion of a local couple
who has orphans from the city’s red light district in residence. As it turns out, Mercy is also employed there
to take care of the orphans. As the summer progresses, Mercy starts to see
Aaron in a different light.
The name of the town intrigued me because the book tells us
that the setting is Southeast Kansas.
Since I grew up in Southeast Kansas, I know the layout pretty well. The picture of the mansion on the cover has a
striking resemblance to a mansion that is a tourist attraction in SE
Kansas. The fictional town name is
Teaville and there is no town by that name.
But there is a town name Coffeyville and the book mentions a nearby town
(Caney) a couple of times so I think that pretty well nails it down. I will have to do some research into
Coffeyville’s history out of sheer curiosity now.
I really enjoyed this book, although as a person who was a
foster parent for many years and now a grandparent to adopted children, I think
the author’s view of outcomes for adoption of older children is a bit more cut
and dried than the reality but that’s what romantic fiction is for – a feel
good ending. That is what I want in a
story when I read this type of fiction.
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