09/12/2022
In this pleasant contemporary from Hatcher (I’ll Be Seeing You), a woman renews her faith in God following tragedy. After Olivia Ward lost custody of her daughter, Emma, in the divorce from her cruel ex-husband, she despaired that God had allowed such events to happen. Six years later, she learns that her ex-husband has died in a car crash, so she retrieves Emma from Florida and brings her to live in Bethlehem Springs, Idaho. The reunion is awkward and uncomfortable, but 15-year-old Emma gradually acclimates to her new home and lands a role in a play put on by a local theater company. During rehearsal, Emma finds a diary from the Great Depression among the props and as she reads it, she becomes invested in the story of its author, a woman whose marriage put an end to her acting aspirations. Meanwhile, the father of Olivia’s ex-husband hires private investigator Tyler Murphy to determine if Olivia is fit to raise Emma. Tyler befriends Olivia and develops feelings for her, but he agonizes over telling her about his clandestine motives. Hatcher movingly captures Olivia’s anguish as she strives to make up for lost time, and readers will appreciate the characters’ inspiring reflections, as when Olivia tells herself “Don’t borrow trouble. Deal with today.” This sweet tale charms. (Nov.)
