Orange Moon: A Fiction Novel

by Courtney Allen

When Rae McLaren was a little girl, her mother mysteriously vanished. After she returns to her childhood home years following this unexplainable disappearance, she discovers evidence buried in the past, and she can't ignore the apparent truth of what may lead to her mother's whereabouts.

However, the rural family farm where she once grew up embraces its own secrets, and the small community of the local Georgia town holds closely to their hearts more than they are willing to reveal. In Rae's search, she attempts to find a footing in her own life while looking for answers through an intricate landscape that trace back to the unknown life of her mother's past. She finds haunting revelations and undertakes trying detours along the way. Yet her story should be told, and the ones she must inevitably lay bare shall be cast in the light of the Orange Moon. . .

Genres: Fiction, Adult, Death, Historical Fiction

424 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2017

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Orange Moon” is the second book by novelist Courtney Allen. The story began in the 1960’s in a small farming town in rural Georgia. With Rae Nita McLaren’s brother Justin stationed in Vietnam, she was the only one left in her family to check on her elderly aunt Willa who lived on the family farm that had been passed down by her grandfather. Allen writes in great detail of southern customs and culture in the region of the red Georgia clay.

Rae must quickly find employment, or her apartment and life in the city will be lost. With her aunt’s sudden death Rae returned to settle affairs at the farm after accepting a job at Houston’s Amusement Park taking tickets for the rides and working the concession station selling refreshments. In her loneliness at the farm, memories of her mother’s strange disappearance lingered. Justin and Rae had been lovingly raised by their aunt Willa and Uncle Bryce, but they hadn’t provided any answers or clues to the mystery of her mother’s absence from their family life. What could have happened to her, and why? Rae had no contact with her father. Gill McLaren was serving a life prison sentence at the Byrd Corrections Center in Huntsville, Texas. After receiving news that Justin had been killed in Vietnam, Rae was heartbroken and totally alone. This left her with a determination to trace her family history and understand mysterious family truths possibly related to her mother’s disappearance. However, this would not be easy for her, as she attended to her job, caring for the farm property, and finding true love for the first time.

There were many twists as the truth of Rae’s parent’s marriage emerged—infidelity, Gill’s terrible anger and temperament that caused a deep family rift, then led to an act of violence and murder. Rae would come to understand these things, but only after years of heartache, suspicion surrounding bad dreams, omens and the darkness of reality and memory. Love would find a way towards understanding and healing. Other dramatic turn of events and conditions would alter Rae’s life forever. It is unclear how many bad things can realistically happen to one person—as Rae faced unusual odds of multiple unforeseen circumstances and the impact of tragic consequences. 3*GOOD.
**Special thanks and appreciation to the author for the handwritten note and advance copy of the book for the purpose of review.

[Phyllis Krall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rae Nita McLaren returns to her grandfather's farm in Georgia, hoping to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance twelve years earlier. Rae and her brother were children when their lives changed forever. With their father in prison and their mother gone, the siblings were raised by their Aunt and Uncle at the family farm. Raes' childhood memories help her look for clues to the mystery of her missing mother. Danny Houston, her boss at the amusement park where she works, helps Rae
with her search. Surprising secrets are revealed as Rae follows the path to the truth.
I received this book as a gift from the author and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. This is the second book I have read by him, and I am looking forward to reading more of his works. His descriptions of rural Georgia in the 1900's made me feel as if I was right there. Life was much more simple in the Sout during that time.
Highly recommended!!

[Sharon Huether · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.
Rae McLaren grew up in her aunt's home in rural Georgia.
Her mother mysteriously disappeared and her father was serving a life sentence for murder.
After her Aunt died and her only brother went into the Army to serve his country in Vietnam, true loneliness set in. Rae found what had been a secret in her Aunt's home. She wanted to find out what happened to her mother. After many attempts she found the answer to the secret.
She had many joys and sorrows in her life. She knew one day that she would be united with all of her loved ones.
A Big Thank you to the author for sending me a finished copy of his book. It was a page turned and kept my interest through out the whole book.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a young woman trying to understand and solve her mother's disappearance. The story takes place in rural Georgia and because of Courtney Allen's beautiful writing I felt a connection to the area and the main character, Rae. I wished the best for Rae as she worked through all the trauma in her life. This story is about secrets and families, love, determination and just life with its ups and downs. 3.5 stars and I look forward to reading another book by Mr. Allen. I also would like to say thank you to Mr. Allen for this complimentary copy!

[Aisling · Rating 5 out of 5]

A character driven novel which essentially has a mystery at it's heart. The author captures the 70's and rural Georgia and brings the reader right into the protagonist's life. I really enjoyed the pacing and the way the mystery unraveled. The author has a very compelling way of writing which makes it almost impossible to put down the book. Like other reviewers I agree that the book should have ended sooner but this is not an author issue, it's an editor one. A couple of other things jumped out (the final scene/relationship with Terrance, the backstory of the killer, Danny's Dad scene) that should have been cut to make it a tight and powerful novel about Rae Nita solving her mother's murder but, again, Courtney Allen is such a good writer that the reader is willing to go along on these diversions and irrelevancies to get back to the heart of the novel. I think Mr. Allen has huge potential as an author. The gift he has for writing is great. I hope a big publishing house will pick him up, get him a good editor and then let him benefit readers everywhere with his talent.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rae Nita McLaren has returned to Georgia and her grandfather's farm. The grandfather has passed on and Rae Nita's aunt Willa and Uncle Bryce now run the place. Rae Nita's brother also lives there, but as time goes on, he goes off to join the Army and goes to Viet Nam.

Rae Nita gets and apartment in the small town and must find a job. And a job she does find at the local amusement park run by Danny Houston. She is like a girl Friday-monitoring the food court and taking money for the rides and just all around anything that needs to be done. It pays fairly decent and she can pay her bills. One day while Rae Nita is at work he Aunt Willa has some sort of attack and passes away. A friend had been with her at the time. Now Rae Nita and her brother own the farm. Rae Nita decides to move back to the farm and fix things up and live there.

The main reason Rae Nita returned to Georgia was to find out what happened to her mother who disappeared some 12 years ago. Her father was incarcerated for murder of one of her mother's former lovers; a life sentence.

As Rae Nita is cleaning up around the farm, she finds some evidence about her mother and wonders if it has anything to do with her disappearance. Danny Houston helps her with investigating and talking with law enforcement officers and some men in politics as her mother was involved in campaigning for some of the local politicians. One day she is visited by some military personnel to tell Rae Nita that her brother was killed in Viet Nam. He was buried in Arlington cemetery.

It's quite a mystery and takes a lot of time to figure it all out. Danny and Rae Nita get closer and soon marry and have children. But sadness is so much a part of Rae Nita's life that she loses her family to illness and a tragic accident and ends up all alone in the end.

I loved reading this book. It was a real page turner. I received this book from the Good Reads giveaway and am happy I did. Mr. Allen is a very talented writer. I needed Kleenex at the end of this story.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

GA Loved the cover art and the black crows.... And the music is stuff I still listen to, the cars we still covet after all these years. Courtney Allen brings us his second mystery, set in the late 1960's in a small town in Georgia and reverting back into the late 1950's in details necessary to the plot. Our main protagonist is orphan Rae, a nice sweet girl just beginning life on her own after spending years on the family farm in with her paternal Aunt Willa. Papa's doing life without parole and mama disappeared in early 1959. Her little brother Justin is serving in Vietnam and she hears from him only seldomly. And things still have a way of falling apart when she isn't looking. Her seemingly sound job with a truck rental place closes without warning, and her vehicle is overheating. She takes a job as an all-around gofer with a small fairgrounds carnival working for the owner with a couple of other part-timers, with the understanding that there will be no winter work at all and she has no guaranteed hours per week through the summer. Rae considers giving up her apartment and moving back on the farm with her elderly Aunt Willa - she goes by every day to check on her anyway - but she really wanted to make it on her own. Can she?

This was an excellent who-done-it. I enjoyed the protagonists and the flow of the tale is in places poetic. I felt like the solving of the long ago crimes was handled well, but I was disappointed with some of the final details. More overall closure than I wanted to know about.... I don't have to have happily ever after but -!

Looking forward to more from this talented author. He is one I will follow.

[Jackie Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this novel. Felt like being with friends in this southern setting. Rae McLaren, has had a difficult life being raised without her Mom who has disappeared when Rae is a young girl. Rae now an adult after being raised by an aunt and uncle. These characters become like family and they pulled me into their lives. Is a very sad story in the deaths Rae has to grieve. She solves her Mom's disappearance and death. Learns to live with many losses and finds love along the way. What I most liked was the way the circumstances were dealt with as sadness was throughout the book. Was very like our real life and had my emotions up and down throughout . Is also about secrets that more often than not come to light. Is about the difficulty of relationships. Is the hardest thing we deal with on this earth. Is a wonderful southern read that flows throughout. Finished reading this a.m. waiting to cross children and had a good cry over the ending. Read this book. Thanks to Courtney for this book.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't win this book on Goodreads First Reads. This book was sent to me, by the author, for an honest review. Wow, where to start? The story line was pretty well written, but was a little slow going at first. It did flow, however, very well once the book got going with only a few glitches, but every book has those. The main characters, Rae Nita and Danny, went very well together and they had a lot of chemistry. This book, also, stirred up a lot of emotion with me. The main character, Rae Nita, had a lot of ups and downs throughout the book that made me laugh, get angry, and cry. If you are looking for a book about life, I recommend this book highly.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.
Easy to read. Easy to follow.
*light spoilers*
Rae Nita. An interesting & pretty name.
I couldn't imagine losing either or both of my parents at such a young age. Poor baby. I cried for her.
I cried when she received news of her brother's death (coming from a military family myself, my father lost many friends in Vietnam. He was one of the lucky ones who didn't get sent there, but spent many a month training in jungles overseas.)
I rejoiced when she solved her own mother's disappearance.
I was SO happy when she & Danny married.
I cried SO hard with her as she lost 1st her daughter, then her son & hubby. Being a mother myself, I can't imagine losing either of my babies, by any means.
Overall, a great read.
Received this novel directly from the author.
Thank you, Courtney Allen, for the opportunity to read your novel.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about life's ups and downs with a mystery mixed in. There are examples of strength and perseverance throughout the story.

[Julie Witte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved an ARC copy from the author. This was written in a different vibe than 'Down from the Mountain', which was the first book I have read by this author. There were times I just wanted to shake the main character to wake her up to what was going on around her, but at the end I felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow at the turns her life had taken. I believe this book is up at the top of books I have read; Feelings are deep and tragedy is real in this one, yet I feel there was more to come of her story...it didn't quite wrap up at the end. I gave 4 out of 5 stars because I just felt there was a bit of "snip" at where it was ended. Those four stars were well earned though! I am honored to have been able to read this book and share thoughts on it. Highly recommended read.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read to a point. This would have been a five star book if it had ended about 20-25 pages earlier, however Mr. Allen dragged it out without fleshing out an interesting story in order to end it. The logical ending to the book was those several pages earlier. The story could still have been told and would have been better served by being fleshed out and maybe even being released as a separate book if the author felt the book were too long when adding the more detailed ending.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Susan Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story keeps the reader entertained with its realistic characters. I liked the story but was unhappy with the ending, too sad.

[Mandy Wultsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orange Moon is a story that takes place in 1971 in rural Georgia (in the US). Rae Nita McLaren is a young woman living on her own but still takes care of the aunt that raised her after her mother disappeared and her father was incarcerated. Rae Nita is still trying to heal from the trauma caused by her parents' absence from her life. Thankfully she and her brother had a loving aunt and uncle who took them in and cared for them.

Discovering what may be a clue to her mother's whereabouts pushes Rae Nite to dig into the past and do some investigating. Most of the book is Rae Nita trying to solve the mystery of how and why her mother disappeared; this book is a mystery, but is also a moving story of a woman trying to find her place in the world. The first chapter was slow moving and had me questioning if I would like the book, but the story picked up the pace after that. There were a few times when I thought the story was going to take a hard right turn into science fiction and made me wonder if I misunderstood the summary on the back of the book, but it remained solidly in the realm of historical mystery. I would have been satisfied whether or not it did take an unexpected leap into a different genre.

It is interesting to read a story taking place in this time. After a traffic accident I wondered for half a second why someone didn't just use a cell phone to call for help, before realizing cell phones did not yet exist. The prices for everything from a loaf of bread to a car seemed very inexpensive until, again, I remembered it is 1971 in the story. This is relatively recent, so there are cars, telephones, and airplanes, but far enough back in time that personal computers and cell phones are not part of everyday life. If the story had taken place a few hundred years ago I probably would have not have caught myself wondering why the characters didn't use modern technology to solve some of their problems. This is my personal issue, not any problem to do with the story. It would be interesting to see if any other readers did this, too.

The author has a way of describing people, events, and settings so vividly that it almost feels like you are watching a movie instead of reading a book. The relaxing pace of the book perfectly fits the setting of the southern part of the US. If you have never been there, it can get very hot and humid in the summers, and people have adapted by not moving at the same frantic pace you might find in other parts of the world like New York City.

One very minor issue I noticed was members of the military doing an about face from parade rest without first coming to attention. Also, instead of a three volley salute, a six volley salute (or two three volley salutes?) is performed. This may be something that was done in 1971 but is no longer done. While this does not have any bearing on the plot, it made me reread the passage to make sure I had read it correctly. This is not something that most readers would even notice, but those who have been or are in the military might.

Loose ends are tied up by the end of the book and the conclusion is satisfying. Some further information on what happens to the characters after the mystery is wrapped up makes a good epilogue. I would like to read more about more episodes in the lives of the characters, either before or after the events in this story.

A note of warning: a sexual assault is part of the story. It is very emotional and somewhat graphic, but not so bad that I would not recommend this book to teenagers. If this is something you try to avoid, possibly because of something that has happened in your past that you do not want any reminders of, maybe skip this one. The language of the book is fairly clean. If a teen (or adult) can sit through one of the real crime TV shows, then reading this story will not be traumatizing.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Mr. Allen.

[Rumeur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of a mother's disappearance , her father's imprisonment for murder & a daughter looking for the mystery of what happened to her mother, 12 years ago
The author is exceptional in his descriptions of places & people, esp. of the family farm in Georgia, where her Aunt & Uncle raised her & her brother. The author is so descriptive I felt as if I lived there, grew up there......& I didn't want to leave when the book was finished. He's superb with descriptions & making you, the reader, feel as if it's been your life
It's a mystery of sorts, but also a story of family, secrets & searching for where the secret takes you with the family Secrets within families can at times change an entire family, & sometimes just certain people within the family
I'm a true believer that all families have their secrets, but some are much more devastating & impactful than others. They can be life changing. Rae ( the daughter) searches at the family farm where her Aunt is still living & finds clues to her missing mother. Very well written, thought out & a descriptive journey through Rae's family & the farm in Georgia where she grew up

I'd highly recommend this book to all readers of any genres since it's not a graphic & ugly mystery. It's a mystery of a disappearance of a young girl's mother, who years later is searching for answers, closure. It's much more than just a mystery, it's also about family & secrets.

Again, beautifully written to point I was sad when finished the book since I became attached to this family & would've loved to stay longer. I'll definitely keep looking for more books from this author

I received a copy of the book, by the author & have written an honest review. Many thanx to the author for allowing me to read his book, much appreciated & enjoyed

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author with the hope of an honest review. This book was different from Down From The Mountain so I wasn't sure what to expect. The story is about Rae Nita, a girl in her 20's living with her aunt in rural Georgia in the 70's. Rae Nita's mother disappeared when she was 12 and evidence points to a murder though a body was never found. When her aunt dies, Rae Nita finds a picture and letter hidden by her mother that encourages her to convince the local police to reopen the case.
This is a character driven novel. I particularly enjoyed the familiarity of the characters, towns, emotions, and events of the late 60's and 70's. The author brings these times to life. While the story seemed to start a bit slow, the pace picks up as more characters and family members enter the scene. While there is a mystery, the book is also about life. There are family secrets, daily life challenges, the realities of navigating the justice dept, the tragedy of wars, great loss and great joy. My one recommendation is that the book appears to be longer than necessary and some areas appeared repetitive and could have been edited out. This is a good read.

[Terry Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of Orange Moon from the author in exchange for an honest review. I am not being financially compensated for my review.

When Rae McLaren was a young child of twelve, her mother mysteriously disappears without a trace. Years later Rae returns to her rundown childhood home in hopes of discovering what really happened to her mother. Met with one tragic event after another, your pity for Rae Nita will be real.

I'm going to admit that I almost filed this book away. The first eleven pages describes Rae's surroundings. It was so drawn out I got lost. If I couldn't make sense of what I'd just read in those first eleven pages, then I definitely won't be able to the remainder of the book. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Can you call such a book beautiful? I am. This book is filled with prose-like writing, wonderfully descriptive narrative, and realistic characters. I know I initially barked about "long in the tooth" descriptions but Courtney Allen does it so damn well. If would havev guessed him to be southern *insert grin

*Caution : This book has been know to cause weeping of the eyes, runny nose, and extreme melancholy

4.5 stars

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the author in exchange for a honest review.
I love this book. Not often do you read a book that takes you back like this book took me back to my teen years. I found the characters and the plot to be very intriguing and believable. The story is about Rea Nita, her loves and losses in life. Rea's mother disappeared when she was young and the only thing found was her bloody car was found but her mother's body was not found, then her father was arrested for murdering the man he thought was responsible. In this book we meet some of Rea's friends and family each one having their own stories. Rea Nita has never been satisfied that no one was ever charged for her mother's murder so she begins her own investigation with her new friend, Danny. Aside from being consumed with the loss of her mother and finding the the killer Rea is trying to cope with her only brother being in Vietnam. This book has a few twists and turns and unexpected happenings that keeps you interested. I would recommend this book to any that enjoys a great read.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing I noticed about the book was the cover which grabbed my attention. The cover shows stark wintry trees with an orange moon in the background. It intrigued me.

To be honest, the first two chapters were a little slow-moving. This may or may not have been because I was recovering from bronchitis at the time I read it. However, from the third chapter on I was hooked by the story-line. I was eager to finish it.

One thing the author, Courtney Allen, does very well is character development. I understood why the characters acted as they did, and I found myself rooting for Rae and Danny. I wanted things to work out for Rae as she explored the mystery of her mother's disappearance years ago when Rae was a child.

The author also has a good story-line which surprised me at least once. He writes with feeling and tenderness. The story will stay with me a long time.

I encourage you to read "Orange Moon" by Courtney Allen. It will enrich your life.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mysterious story with a beautiful setting.... Orange Moon is the haunting tale of Rae McLaren, who is trying to discover what happened to her mother who vanished when Rae was a little girl. Growing up on the farm with her brother and aunt and uncle, Rae can't get past all the secrets in her family. No one can tell her anything about her mother, and she's without her father, since he is in prison for murdering a man. Now, as Rae investigates what happened all those years ago, she finds out only a few facts that don't shed any light on her mother's fate. As she deals with family tragedies and growing loneliness, Rae takes on a new job with a reopened amusement park. She finds a new friend in the owner, Danny, and tries to move on and live her life, but the story of her mother just has to be told. In time, as the mystery is revealed, the reader is left with a compelling story which lingers long after it finishes.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rae Nita is a young women in her early twenties who’s trying to start to live life on her own. Her brother is in the Vietnam War, and her aunt has declining health. She finds a job where her boss is a nice, caring man. Then Rae Nita discovers a secret that may lead to the answer of her mother’s disappearance when she was a young girl.

This book was gifted to me, so I feel bad, but it just wasn't for me. Although this story had much potential, I felt it moved at an extremely slow pace, with characters and character backgrounds that were not necessary. You do not learn anything involving her mother’s case until around 150 pages in. There was also only one suspect that Rae Nita was concerned about, so it was either going to be them or not. I also feel the ending was stretched out. Instead of wrapping up after the mystery was solved, it continued in a quick cover of the rest of her life, and was extremely depressing. No happily every after with this one!

[Ann Boytim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rae was just a little girl when her mother mysteriously vanished. Rae and her brother were brought up by her Uncle and Aunt and now her Aunt Willa lives on the farm by herself and is ill. Rae's brother is now in Vietnam and Rae lives in a small apartment not far from her Aunt's home. Rae has been looking for a job and finally found one in a small amusement park. Rae has always wondered what happened to her mother but the sheriff closed the case many years ago. Rae's father has been in prison for a long time for killing a man who he thought was having an affair with Rae's mother. After Willa passes away Rae is cleaning out an old chest of drawers and finds an envelope with a photo and letter. Rae is determined to reopen her mother's case and the owner of the amusement park said he will help her find out what really happened to her mother.

[Sweetpea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rae returns to rural Georgia to solve the mysterious disappearance of her mother when she was a child. Shocking details about what happened to her mother, as well as her brother Justin's paternity, are revealed in her search for the truth.

Orange Moon was a very enjoyable read and a well written mystery. The characters seemed very realistic and I liked that despite all the trauma and loss in her life, Rae was able to find some happiness. To be honest, I would have preferred that the book ended on a happier note, especially with everything that Rae had been through. Despite the ending, I would recommend Orange Moon.

I was very graciously provided with a free copy of this book by the author, with no obligation to review it. This voluntary review is my honest opinion.

[Lorrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the author for review. This story takes place in small-town Georgia in the 1970s. It's rich with 1970s-era iconic imagery. The heart of the story is a woman who went missing in 1959 and her daughter, now grown and having led a life of great losses, who hopes to find a resolution to her mother's disappearance. It's an engaging read and I enjoyed the sweet romance that develops between the daughter and an unassuming and kindly man, who had been transplanted into this small town by happenstance. I was a bit taken aback by the ending and the losses that continued to follow her throughout her life. It almost seemed too much for one person to handle. Highly recommend. Many thanks to Mr Allen for sharing another one of his novels with me.

[Jennifer Lessard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily wrote an honest review.
I received a copy of this book in the mail from the author in exchange for an unbiased and honesty review. It was a little slow to start out but I have to say once I got into this book it was very good! The story line is well written and the authors attention to detail is remarkable. Mr. Allen is a very brilliant author, so much so that you almost feel you are transposed to that time or era. Mr. Allen also does an amazing job with character development and as you read, you feel like you are reading about your own friends or relatives. This is the second book I have read by this author and will not hesitate to read more from him.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the author, Courtney Allen. Really enjoyed reading it and didn't want it to end. The main character Rae was wonderfully developed as were the secondary characters like Danny, Willa, Terrance and Justin. You felt like you knew them. What I liked about this book is how the story evolved and took you with it. So many books that I read by famous authors are after awhile predictable and formulaic. Orange Moon was not. When reading it, you felt like you were right there with the characters in the middle of rural Georgia. The author really captured how it was in the south during the time periods in the story. I recommend this book to all fiction lovers.

[Jennifer Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read by Courtney Allen, and it didn’t disappoint. I love his storytelling style. I can always envision the environment, and feel with the main characters. This story’s main character is Rae Nita, a girl in a small Georgia community. As the chapters unfold, it takes you through her family’s history, and mystery to solve her mother’s murder. Originally, I thought that was going to be the only thing this story was about. I was wrong. There is much deeper meaning to this story, and you have to read to the end to understand it. Loved it!
I didn’t receive this book from a giveaway.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rae’s mother disappeared when she was a young girl. She is now living on her own, but she has recently lost her job and is struggling with bills and helping out her aunt. She finds a quirky job description in the paper and ends up taking a job at a renovated small amusement park and makes a connection with the man who now owns the park.. Her brother is serving in Vietnam and she rarely hears from him. After she inherits the family farm, she discovers a photograph of her mother which drives her to find out what really happened to her. Life is not kind to Rae, but she perseveres through each hardship and makes the best of her circumstances.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book by the author for my review. The story will stay with me so it probably deserves more starts but I found it overly descriptive and wordy. The story was also very depressing with one bad thing happening after another. Rae was a little girl her mother vanished and her father killed a man and was sent to prison. She lived with her aunt and brother in a rural area, when the aunt dies she gets the house and tries to make it a home. She makes a goal to find out what happened to her mother. The last paragraph is good.