Thank you to Diane Chamberlain, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC copy.

I am definitely going to have a book hangover from this book. It was so good. This was my first book that I have read from Diane Chamberlain, but it definitely won't be my last. I loved the way she wrote. The different perspectives and timelines weaved together perfectly, giving you just enough information as you went along. The book was incredibly hard to put down. This book focused on many heavy topics, including racism, forbidden love, small town prejudice and many more, but I felt like Chamberlain handled writing about these topics in a respectful and sensitive way. Chamberlain also had a great cast of characters. Some of them I absolutely loved, and some of them I hated, but she did such a great job writing them in order to make you feel strongly one way or another. I also loved the setting. The way the forest, houses, school etc., were described really helped you visualize the small town Southern USA setting perfectly. I highly recommend this book, just make sure you read it at a time when you can commit to reading it all in one go, because you won't be able to put it down!

Love love love!!!!!! Diane Chamberlain is a modern day classic. I love every single one of her books and this one was no exception!

This was my first Diane Chamberlin novel but I can't wait to read more! This story was sad and heartbreaking in many ways. We read more about racism in this small town and how the past and present both come together when Kayla moves into her new house at the end of the street. The house was design by both her and her husband but sadly he died from an on site accident before the house was finished. Kayla meets her elderly neighbor, Ellie, who lived in the small house under she left in her 20's and hasn't returned until she had to care for her terminal mother and brother. The past and present keep colliding and we learn about the woods behind Kayla's house and how it was used as a site for KKK gathers. This book was a little slow to start for me but once I was able to follow the past and present, I didn't want to put it down until I got to the end and got to find out what really happened 45 years ago.

This was excellent, both on the level of mystery/suspense as well as social commentary. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I particularly appreciated how it handled the "white savior" issue.


Review copy provided by publisher.

This will be a book I reccomend to all, regardless of what genre they like. The story is a great mix of historical fiction, mystery, social justice and a little bit of romance. Audio was great and enjoyable. I could not put it dow, and fun fact, this was my second time reading it!

I absolutely loved this book and could not recommend it more. Two timelines, one dealing with the Civil Rights Movement, and the other a recently widowed mother moving into a house that seems to have a haunted past. These seemingly unrelated plots come together in the most wonderful way. A top book of the year!