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By Nan Rossiter 

ISBN: 978-0-7582-8389-4
Publish Date: 4/30/2013
Format: Paperback

My Rating:  4.5 Stars

New York Times bestselling author Nan Rossiter weaves a poignant, empowering novel in which three sisters gather to celebrate their mother’s life—and find new inspiration for living their own…

Losing her father on the night she was born could have torn Beryl Graham’s family apart. Instead, it knitted them together. Under their mother’s steady guidance, Beryl and her older sisters, Isak and Rumer, shared a childhood filled with happiness. But now Mia Graham has passed away after battling Alzheimer’s, and her three daughters return to their New Hampshire home to say goodbye.

Swept up in memories and funeral preparations, the sisters catch up on each other’s lives. Rumer and Isak have both known recent heartache, while Beryl has given up hope of marriage. But surprising revelations abound, especially when they uncover Mia’s handwritten memoir. In it are secrets they never guessed at—clandestine romance, passionate dreams, joy and guilt. And as Beryl, Rumer, and Isak face a future without her, they realize it’s never too late to heed a mother’s lessons—about taking chances, keeping faith, and loving in spite of the risks…

Praise for the novels of Nan Rossiter

"Eloquent and surprising...I love this story of faith, love, and the lasting bonds of family." --Ann Leary, author of Outtakes from a Marriage on The Gin & Chowder Club

“An intimate portrayal of a family in crisis, with good character development and a bucolic setting.”  –Publishers Weekly on Words Get in the Way

My Review

This was my first book by Nan Rossiter and loved it! As we get older we all are concerned about our parents’ last years; how to handle health care, nursing homes, funerals, and the aftermath. The novel was well written with lovable characters. I hope someday when it is time-- my sister and I will find some family secrets such as this! 

The three sisters are all different, with names of famous authors raised by a single mother (her husband dies in a car accident on their 5th wedding anniversary and the same day her last daughter is born. The Mother (Mia) has a great outlook on life and loves life daily and loved by many. 

When the mother dies, the three daughters come home to go through the tea house her mother owned and the contents of the house. What they find is a secret and lovely romance with a famous married artist. The romance was going on for years after of course the husband had died. The paintings and the letters to her daughters were bittersweet. Unfortunately by the time his wife dies, she has lost her memory and is in a nursing home. 

In the meantime while they are dealing with their mother’s affairs, the three sisters have issues of their own. Beryl (the one who lives in the same town) revisits her an old friend and his daughter (his wife has died), and the other two sisters have marriage and family problems as well.

A beautiful story – I highly recommend to men and women of any age - I look forward to reading more by this author!