ANGEL SISTER, by Ann H. Gabhart

Angel Sister is set in 1936 in the little town of Rosey Corner, Kentucky, where Kate Merritt is the middle child in a family of three daughters. Gabhart's skillful writing puts the reader in the midst of this community and its characters--we know the people, and we feel the heat of a Kentucky summer.

Kate is the responsible sister who feels it's up to her to keep her family together. The task she takes onto her fourteen-year-old shoulders is a daunting one. Her father is sliding into alcoholism and her mother is trying desperately to keep food on the table. Kate's sisters are no help--the older one is a prima donna and the younger girl is just, well, too young. Throw in a couple of disagreeable grandfathers and you can see what Kate faces daily.

One day, on her way to visit one of her grandfathers, Kate is stopped by the sight of a little girl alone and crying on the steps of Kate,s grandfather,s church. How Lorena Birdsong,s arrival affects the Merritt family and the community of Rosey Corner is the catalyst for this all-consuming story.

Gabhart does a masterful job of weaving plot lines together as Angel Sister rolls to a suspenseful conclusion.

This book is on my "keeper" shelf for re-reading. I loved the characters and will want to visit Rosey Corner again.

ANOTHER DAWN, by Kathryn Cushman

Grace Graham has spent years running from tough situations--until the day her sister calls with a plea for help with their widowed father. Given no choice, Grace and her four-year-old son leave their California home for Shoal Creek. Tennessee.

Grace plans to do the minimum asked of her, then leave as quickly as possible. But she didn't anticipate the events that would conspire to hold her in Tennessee. Decisions she made in years past put the life of her son and other children in danger, and she's forced to face the consequences of her choices.

Another Dawn explores contemporary issues in a way that is sure to cause readers to wonder if there are choices in their own lives that have had unintended consequences.

Cushman explores a serious issue with compassion and understanding. Be sure to keep a box of tissues nearby when you read this book.

COURTING MORROW LITTLE, by Laura Frantz

Frantz has crafted another winner in Courting Morrow Little. Her first novel, The Frontiersman’s Daughter, captivated me throughout, and Courting Morrow Little did the same.

The story is set in1778 Kentucky (Kentucke, as it was spelled then). Morrow Little is a young woman with heartbreak in her past. When she returns from Philadelphia after being under her aunt's care for two years, she finds that the memory of the Shawnee raid that tore her family apart has left her fearful of shadows surrounding the cabin she shares with her ailing father.

How she learns to overcome these fears, and where forgiveness leads her, brings her to a choice that most women in her time would find unthinkable.

Frantz guides the reader through many fascinating plot twists that kept me up reading past my bedtime for several nights. The believable characters and beautifully researched background make this book a keeper on my shelf. I loved this story and recommend it highly!

I read Courting Morrow Little a few months ago, but am behind in posting reviews. Now I'm anxious to read The Colonel's Lady, her newest, which is scheduled for release on August 1 of this year.