Joe Arneson is in a mental hospital because of violent recurring
dreams that frightened his father, step-mother, and little sister,
Linda. Joe thinks he’s basically all right. He doesn’t want his
family terrified, but equally he doesn’t want to try his doctor’s
latest idea of electroshock therapy. When Pearl, shows up with her
lawyer, telling him she’s his grandmother, he’s ready to escape.
The problem is that his father told him his grandmother had been dead
for years.
This story is told
in two time periods, 1916 and 1983. In 1916, Pearl’s father was
newly widowed and trying to raise seven daughters. Alice, the elders,
had taken on the maternal role at which she was excellent. Pearl, the
second oldest, had no interest in domestic chores. She wanted to be
an actress and leave the small Wisconsin town. Then tragedy struck
and Pearl has still not recovered.
In 1983, Joe and
Kathleen work together to clean out the family house and in the
process discover the family secrets. As they work together, they become attached to each other. Joe hopes to have a life with her and
wants to expose the secrets to bring his family back together.
The book is
enjoyable to read. I often find stories told in two time periods are
difficult to follow. However, this one is well coordinated. Joe and
Kathleen are characters you can enjoy. The have good values and want
to help Pearl resolve her problems before she dies. I liked Pearl a
great deal. She’s a feisty old lady in spite of her demons.
If you enjoy a
romance with family secrets, this is a good one.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
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