Book Review--Small Town Girl

Author Ann Gabhart revisits the small town of Rosey Corner and the Merritt sisters that we met in her offering Angel Sister several years ago. Little Leona Birdsong has become a ten-year-old and the Merritt sisters are all grown up too, and ready for their destinies. Many of the people we met in the previous book make appearances here, too. But if you didn’t read the first book, you will still enjoy this one. It can be a stand-alone story as well as a sequel.

Kate, the middle sister, is the main character.  We meet her while she gets ready to stand up with her sister Evie as she marries Mike, the preacher at the Rosey Corner Baptist Church. Kate has to swallow her hurt because she loved Mike, too, and wanted to marry him, but he has eyes only for Evie. Mike invited his friend Jay Tanner to come and be his best man, and as soon as Jay sets eyes on Kate, sparks begin to fly,

Kate is not interested in love and marriage, though, so she keeps Jay at arm’s length, even though Leona’s crush on Jay is evident. So Jay tries to get to Kate through Leona, whom he calls “Birdie.” He takes them on walks and to movies, the way couples courted in the 1930s.

The book is full of homespun wisdom, interesting dialogue, and sub-plots that crop up here and there. The time is the beginning of World War II when people listened to the radio and cranked their cars to get them to start. Kate works in her parents’ establishment, an old variety store which stocked most anything people would need and kept a tab for people who didn’t have money to spend every time they needed an item from the store. It is so reminiscent of the old days. Many people will not remember these days, but they will learn how people lived back them by reading about it.

When Pearl Harbor interfered with everybody’s life, big decisions had to be made. Kate had to decide whether she loved Jay. As the author describes life in the Army camps, we can see the hardships the men had to endure. Jay became a Paratrooper, jumping out of airplanes, while Mike was a Chaplain.

This book was so good, I didn’t want it to end. I hope you will get a copy and read it, too. Ms. Gabhart is an excellent author and a master at dialogue.