THE INN AT HIDDEN RUN by OLIVIA NEWPORT is a really good read. I find it interesting that the author uses Jillian, a genealogist, and her father, Nolan, a family lawyer and mediator, to sort out the problems between Meri and her family. I love the easy relationship between Jillian and her father and between her and her excitable friend, Nia, and the way they all join Meri's corner, even before they have any idea what her problem is. The Inn owned by Nia and her husband serves as the backdrop for a lot of the action.
The story is split into two time frames and moves between the present day in the small town of Canyon Mines, and Memphis during the Yellow Fever epidemic of the late nineteenth century.
It is heartbreaking to see what went on in Memphis during that terrible time, but also wonderful to see the unselfish, hard work of those who risked their lives to care for the sick, the orphans and the destitute in the plague swept town.
The Christian message is strong and gave me a lot of food for thought. It is interesting to see how members of the same family can be influenced by different ancestral traits.
It is a story about relationships, reconciliation and following one's own dreams. I can highly recommend the book as an interesting and inspiring read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The writing style absolutely did not work for me--I wasn't able to finish this despite being very interested in the topic. A good editor could have helped with things like avoiding cliches.

An immersive read populated by characters as rich as the carefully crafted Colorado setting of Canyon Mines, The Inn at Hidden Run is at once a love letter to the past, a romance and a mystery. Newport smartly differentiates herself in the popular ‘time slip genre’ by rooting her story in the art of genealogy. At home with both the historical canvas of epidemic-raged late 19th Century Memphis and her contemporary frame, Newport examines the core human desire for a sense of roots and belonging. Anyone who has ever wondered how the patches of their histories are sewn into the fabric of their lives will feel completely at home in Hidden Run.