I love the concept of this novel. Lily moved her children back to her hometown as they were getting into all sorts of trouble. She moves into her family home which happens to already have a renter. I thought that part was a little hokey, that a renter would just say oh ok, three more people are moving in. Lily finds a journal that has been kept by her female ancestors for over s century. She shares the discovery with her daughter. Each of the character grows as the rural simple life envelops them. All the personalities are lively and believable. Another great read from CB.

The Family Journal is a beautiful story about roots and new beginnings. As Lily and her teenage daughter, Holly explore the entries in an old journal they each come to realize just how precious life its own self is. Readers will experience a whole range of emotions and perhaps shed a few tears. Parents everywhere can relate to Lily’s struggles as a parent as she stands firm in her tough love posture taking her children from a big city full of temptation back to her small town country roots. Readers will cheer as Lily’s son and daughter come to recognize the lessons she has given them. What resonates with this reader is that Carolyn Brown has so deafly summarized my own feelings about life partners. You can be in love or in lust, but most importantly you must actually like the person you choose to spend your life with. In this old reader’s view, this is a must read! I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.