Author: Rachel Coker
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult/Fiction/Christian
Can love really heal all things?
If Sam Carroll hadn’t shown up, she might have been able to get to her mother in time. Instead, Allie Everly finds herself at a funeral, mourning the loss of her beloved mother. She is dealt another blow when, a few hours later, she is sent from Tennessee to Maine to become the daughter of Miss Beatrice Lovell, a prim woman with a faith Allie cannot accept. Poetry and letters written to her mother become the only things keeping Allie’s heart from hardening completely.
But then Sam arrives for the summer, and with him comes many confusing emotions, both toward him and the people around her. As World War II looms, Allie will be forced to decide whether hanging on to the past is worth losing her chance to be loved.
I was excited to read this debut novel from teenaged author Rachel Coker. It had many things going for it – a gorgeous cover, Emily Dickenson poems at the beginning of each chapter, it’s about a writer, etc. – so needless to say, I enjoyed the book. It was the little touches that made it for me.
Allie, at the beginning, is not entirely likeable. (Then again, neither is my main character Sienna). She never really ‘resonated’ with me – it seemed a bit strange how she could be so completely pushy and hardened throughout the course of about six years. She didn’t seem to change at all from section 1 to section 2, so it surprised me quite a bit when the jump was made.
However –
Sam. I love Sam. Can I say that again? I really, really loved Sam. He’s just so… loveable. I also loved the prose of the book; the writing was very well done and the scenes in the library or on the beach were very vivid in my mind.
Also, there was no ‘objectionable content.’ No cursing, no sexual content – all around a clean, unique, enjoyable book.
It was a quicker read than I thought it would be, and while it had its flaws (it is a first novel, after all) I think it is a beautiful entrance into what I hope is a very prollific writing career. Congratulations, Rachel! I can’t wait to see more of your work!
Stars: 3.5 out of 5
Ages: 12+
Want to see an interview with Rachel, curtosy of NovelTeen? Go HERE!
The Book Fae 
I LOVE reading 1st time authors. I will look for this one :)
Seriously, how often do you get to read a book about a writer! I definitely enjoyed that part… :) I too found it a quicker read than I had expected, but I guess it was because I was enjoying the story so much.
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I have to agree with you, Loved Sam. I connected with Allie some, but Sam kept me reading. :-)
Fun review! I really enjoyed Sam, too. And he had just enough things in common with Allie to make them quite the cute couple!!!
Oh, I really, really loved Sam, too. :) He was my favorite character in the whole book. Such a great story!
Great review, Mirriam! It was an easy, clean read. And that’s not always easy to accomplish. Rachel, I think, has a long career ahead of her. I can’t wait to read her next one. :-)
Jill
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