Where
the Heart Is
by
Jennie Marsland
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE:
Historical Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
When
Rochelle McShannon moves with her father from Morgan County, Georgia
to the Yorkshire Dales, she thinks she’s leaving behind everything
that matters to her. Her mother has passed away, her twin brother is
going west to avoid the looming Civil War, and her family’s
unpopular views on slavery and secession have destroyed her
relationship with the man she hoped to marry. If returning to her
father's childhood home eases his grief, Chelle asks for nothing
more.
Martin
Rainnie understands grief. Since the loss of his wife in childbirth,
he’s known little else, except anger. He’s retreated to his farm
and turned his back on the world, including his baby daughter, who’s
being fostered by Chelle’s relatives. With little Leah drawing them
together, Martin begins to wonder if he can love again – and
convince Chelle to do the same.
But
the war overseas has far-reaching consequences, even in a small
English village. Can Martin and Chelle overcome danger, loss, and
bitterness to make a home where the heart is?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
“I
never thought I’d see this place again. What do you think of it,
lass?”
As the
horse paused to breathe at the top of a hill, Rochelle McShannon
looked down on the huddle of stone buildings that made up the village
of Mallonby, her father’s childhood home. Slate roofs glistened
black from the shower that had just passed by. The sun was breaking
through the clouds now, checkering the distant dales with patches of
light and dark. Out there, a tracery of stone walls patterned the
green hills. Grazing sheep showed as moving dots on the landscape.
The river Mallon wound through it all, a shimmering ribbon in the
fitful sunlight. A pretty view, Chelle had to admit, though she
missed the pines of home.
“I
don’t know, Dad. Ask me when spring comes.” With a shiver, Chelle
shrugged deeper into her cloak. She’d been cold since they’d
sailed from New York. Back in Georgia, the days would be bright and
warm. Her mother’s azaleas and the white French lilac would be in
bloom, perfuming the air around the empty house. Chelle pushed the
thought away with another shiver. Could it really be only six weeks
since they’d laid Maman to rest? Since the world Chelle knew had
turned upside down?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR
BIO: Jennie Marsland lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Canada’s
beautiful East Coast. She has had a lifelong love affair with words
and history, starting with her family’s stories of life in Nova
Scotia in earlier times. Jennie teaches English, science and history
at a local private school, and when she isn’t writing, spends her
free time cooking, gardening, playing guitar, and catering to the
whims of her two very spoiled Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers.
AUTHOR
WEBSITE(S) (list URLS):
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