River Rest by Susan Page Davis
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In rural Maine in 1918, Judith Chadbourne gives up her teaching job after her mother’s death to help her father with her five siblings. But when her father sinks into deep depression and her brother Joel is drafted, the household chores and farm work may overwhelm her. Neighbor Ben Thayer offers to buy their farm, shocking Judith and angering her father. An outsider from New York, Ben seems rich and mysterious, but his heart aches from his own loss. Judith accidentally breaks the antique crystal Christmas ornament her mother loved. The splintering star echoes her family’s shattering. Ben’s efforts to help make Judith suspicious, but when Joel falls critically ill at the army camp, Ben’s aid brings the beginnings of trust. After the armistice, and the community and family start to recover from the strain of the war, but Judith learns independence is lonely. When Ben is injured, she is the only one who can help him. Can love take her beyond the frozen Maine winter?
My thoughts:
As I opened the pages of River Rest, I quickly became enamored with the story, its setting, and its characters. Susan Page Davis is a wonderful storyteller who deftly transports readers to another time and place!
With her father in the throes of depression, Judith Chadbourne struggles to maintain the family farm and oversee the household. When her mysterious neighbor offers assistance, Judith is leery and resists his efforts. The story that unfolds is an engaging and heartfelt tale that captivated me from beginning to end!
After reading the note at the end of the book, I delighted in the story even more, as it was partly inspired by diary entries from Davis’s great-aunt. I loved River Rest and highly recommended this story to fans of historical fiction!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.
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