Recent Reads - A Tapestry of Secrets

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A Tapestry of Secrets by Sarah Loudin Thomas - I've been following this beautiful family series, Appalachian Blessings, since the prequel novella two years ago. In that one, the young widow Delilah found love with Robert, the shopkeeper in Wise, West Virginia, shortly after WWII. Miracle in a Dry Season, the first novel in the series, takes place several years later, when Perla Long comes to stay with her Aunt Delilah, bringing her little daughter Sadie with her. In that story, Perla eventually marries Casewell Phillips. Their son Henry is a main character in the second novel, Until the Harvest, as he copes with grief and tries to find purpose in his life. Now, in A Tapestry of Secrets, we come full circle, as Ella Phillips, Henry's daughter and Perla's granddaughter, returns to Wise to help care for Perla after she suffers a stroke.

Perla has decided that it's time she reveals the full story of her own past to her daughter Sadie, and to Ella, in hopes that they will learn from her mistake and experience. Sadie needs to know the truth about her father, and Perla feels that Ella would benefit in her own search for love and a place of belonging by knowing her grandmother's failings. But Perla's strokes make communication almost impossible and she fears she has waited too long.

Ella is the main character, and her return to Wise reminds her of her dream to live and work close to her family's home and farm and the heritage and tradition she cherishes. It also brings her into contact with two men who seem to compete for her attention. With a failed relationship fresh in her mind, she worries about her own judgment and if she's ready to trust either of them. At the same time, there's a drama unfolding in the town as a new developer comes in and may be wanting to buy the property that the community's little church sits on. Ella struggles with that possibility as the church means so much to her family and is tied up with her memories and heritage.

The stories of the two women unfold as Perla remembers the summer she met Sadie's father, and thinks about telling the story to Sadie and Ella; and as Ella navigates her relationships and what her connection to her past really means to her. We even get reacquainted with Delilah as Sadie searches for information about her father while Perla is unable to speak.

Once again, although having read the previous novels will make the story even richer, this novel works as a stand-alone. And although contemporary setting fiction usually isn't my preference, I have thoroughly enjoyed this series, and am definitely looking forward to anything by Sarah Loudin Thomas in the future.

From the publisher:

What is the weight of a secret?

And what happens what that burden becomes almost too much to bear?

For decades, Perla Phillips has hidden the truth of a decision that still fills her with guilt. But now, seeing her granddaughter, Ella, struggle in a similar way, she's prepared to finally open the past to her family, no matter the consequences. But when the opportunity is snatched from her in a most unexpected manner, will she have waited too long?

Spanning generations, this moving family drama weaves together the interlocking stories of two women as they navigate relationships, family, faith, and the choices that will shape their lives. Heartwarming and nostalgic, the story explores the courage to share the wounds of the past and celebrates the legacy a family passes from one generation to the next.

By the same author: Until the Harvest, Miracle in a Dry Season, Appalachian Serenade

Visit the Baker Publishing Group for info on where to buy.

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