Scent of Lilacs

Back Cover

 

After the summer of 1964,
life for Jocie Brooke will
never be the same.

 

 

Life-changing events rarely happen in quiet Hollyhill, Kentucky, and when they do, they are few and far between.  But for young Jocie Brooke and her family, they happen all at once during the humid summer of 1964.  Though on the surface things are just fine, it seems like everyone in Jocie’s life has something they’re not saying, something they’re hiding from her—and from themselves.  As Jocie digs into her family’s past, she stirs up a whirlwind of discoveries.  Will she find the answers everyone so desperately needs?  Or will her questions lead to truths better left hidden?

 

Combining unforgettable characters, true-to-life struggles, and the perfect dose of humor and nostalgia, this riveting story from bestselling author Ann Gabhart explores the very essence of new life and love.

Review

 

This was an incredibly moving story centered around the “coming of age” of young Jocie Brooke.  Jocie, young and a bit naïve, having lived a fairly sheltered life, is in for a roller-coaster of a summer as one family secret after the other comes to the surface.  It was amazing: just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be another dramatic twist, Ann Gabhart throws out another humdinger. 

 

But the beauty of this story is that it displays the true meaning of family: people pulling together through the ups and downs, encouraging one another, loving one another, and quick to forgive.  I was heartened by the depth of the bond between Jocie and her father.  She looked up to him, he was her hero, and he in return treated her like a princess (but NOT in the spoiled way).  In a world where parents are often torn apart in books and movies, ridiculed, and portrayed as fools and the children are written as spoiled and rebellious, it was lovely to see a strong and good relationship between a parent and child. 

 

And last, but not least, it was encouraging to see the characters leaning on God for the source of their strength, comfort, healing, and peace.  Scent of Lilacs was a beautiful story sure to touch many, many hearts.

 

 

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.