Scent of Lilacs
By Ann H. Gabhart
1964 is the year. Life for young Jocie Brooke will never be the same. Jocie, the main character of this book, lives in the quiet town of Hollyhill, Kentucky, a place where there are rarely life changing events. But this all changes in the hot summer of 1964. On the surface, everything appears to be just fine, however this young lady is experiencing a difficult time in her life. It seems as if everyone in her life is keeping secrets, they are all hiding SOMETHING from her- and perhaps from themselves as well. Jocie decides to dig into the family's past and see what she can discover. In the process, she stirs up some strange information that causes a whirlwind of discoveries! Will she find answers that are helpful, or were these hidden truths better off hidden in the past??
My Thoughts:
Having previously ready Ann Gabhart's book , "Angel Sister",and a few other of Ann's books, I knew I was in for a good read. I am pleased to say that I was correct.
The characters were extremely well developed , to the point of being so realistic , that they became very close to me. I could feel Jocie's frustrations, when attempting to deal with the unknown. Her sadness, confusion, fears, and a few joys along the way, all had me completely engrossed in the book. I wanted this young girl to find happiness and succeed in her quest for the unknown past. Yes, sometimes, I wished that I could give her a hug or some advice. That to me , makes this a good book. I could identify with Jocie as a little sister with a very big problem. The other characters were equally well described. Very unique, somewhat quirky, and entirely believable.
The plot , although, I feel got off to a slow start, was well developed. Once I had read a few chapters, I was hooked on finding out the secrets, along with Jocie. Ann managed to insert some surprising events in the midst of the search for truth. It was a relaxing read, as well as having enough shocking events to hold my interest throughout.
A good read! I would recommend it to all Ann Gabhart fans! The rest of you, try it out! You will like it!!
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
1964 is the year. Life for young Jocie Brooke will never be the same. Jocie, the main character of this book, lives in the quiet town of Hollyhill, Kentucky, a place where there are rarely life changing events. But this all changes in the hot summer of 1964. On the surface, everything appears to be just fine, however this young lady is experiencing a difficult time in her life. It seems as if everyone in her life is keeping secrets, they are all hiding SOMETHING from her- and perhaps from themselves as well. Jocie decides to dig into the family's past and see what she can discover. In the process, she stirs up some strange information that causes a whirlwind of discoveries! Will she find answers that are helpful, or were these hidden truths better off hidden in the past??
My Thoughts:
Having previously ready Ann Gabhart's book , "Angel Sister",and a few other of Ann's books, I knew I was in for a good read. I am pleased to say that I was correct.
The characters were extremely well developed , to the point of being so realistic , that they became very close to me. I could feel Jocie's frustrations, when attempting to deal with the unknown. Her sadness, confusion, fears, and a few joys along the way, all had me completely engrossed in the book. I wanted this young girl to find happiness and succeed in her quest for the unknown past. Yes, sometimes, I wished that I could give her a hug or some advice. That to me , makes this a good book. I could identify with Jocie as a little sister with a very big problem. The other characters were equally well described. Very unique, somewhat quirky, and entirely believable.
The plot , although, I feel got off to a slow start, was well developed. Once I had read a few chapters, I was hooked on finding out the secrets, along with Jocie. Ann managed to insert some surprising events in the midst of the search for truth. It was a relaxing read, as well as having enough shocking events to hold my interest throughout.
A good read! I would recommend it to all Ann Gabhart fans! The rest of you, try it out! You will like it!!
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".
Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a
degree in English and a history minor. She has worked at The Mustang
News and First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the
Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She now lives
outside Oklahoma City with her husband and four children.
