Ella Baron runs her Texas boarding house with the efficiency of a ship’s captain and the grace of a gentlewoman. She cooks, cleans, launders, and cares for her ten-year-old son, Solly, a sweet but challenging child whose busy behavior and failure to speak elicits undesired advice from others in town. Ella’s plate is full from sunup to sundown. When a room in her boarding house opens up, the respected town doctor brings Ella a new boarder―the handsome and gallant Mr. David Rainwater—but Ella is immediately resistant to opening up her home to this mysterious stranger.

Even with assurances that Mr. Rainwater is a man of impeccable character, a former cotton broker and a victim of the Great Depression, Ella stiffens at the thought of taking him in. Dr. Kincaid tells Ella in confidence that Mr. Rainwater won’t require the room for long: he is dying. Begrudgingly, Ella accepts Mr. Rainwater’s application to board, but she knows that something is happening; she is being swept along by an unusual series of events. Soon, this strong-minded, independent woman will realize that the living that she has eked out for herself in the small bubble of her town is about to change, whether she likes it or not…

Racial tensions, the financial strain of livelihoods in cotton drying up into dust, and the threat of political instability swirl together into a tornado on the horizon. One thing is certain: the winds of change are blowing all over Texas—and through the cracks in the life that Ella Barron has painstakingly built. This is the story of a woman who takes her life’s circumstances in both hands, but who will be forced to reckon with the chaos of her circumstances…

My rating:  3.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review:

I am a huge fan of Sandra Brown so I thought it would be fun while on my Retreat this weekend to fit in a book by her. I am way behind on my schedule but this one was a quick read and I hadn’t read anything historical from Brown in a long time so it seemed like a perfect pick. This one turned out ok, it was interesting and honestly it had such a great plot twist at the end. The writing overall was just a little rough and it was hard to connect with the characters a little. And it was just so freaking sad. Plus there was some weird stuff in there, with the heroine wishing she had milk in her breasts so she could nurture the guy she’s having sex with, just weird stuff. Other than that though, the plot was very good and interesting, there were many different issues included that could appeal to different readers. There was bullying, racism, cancer, autism, action, romance, etc. Something for everyone! And it was a quick read. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a quick read with something more than the usual fluff. Good read!

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page