Where the Wild Cherries Grow is an engaging read, telling the story of Emeline Vane in 1919 and the young solicitor Bill Perch who is trying to follow her trail some fifty years later.
Emeline Vane lost so much in the war and just when she thinks she can't handle any more, her uncle is trying to force a husband upon her and remove her from her family estate Hallerton House, the only home she has ever known. Emeline escapes and travels to the south of France where she finds life anew, but is this new future that she dares to imagine for herself too good to be true. Will her uncle track her down and make her return? Will some other fate befall her?
Young solicitor Bill Perch is eager for his first real assignment to unearth some evidence that Emeline Vane should be declared dead so that her niece and nephew can move forward with a planned development on the family estate. When Bill discovers Emeline's diary, he feels drawn to her plight and becomes conflicted about whether to complete his assignment or continue to search for Emeline.
Where the Wild Cherries Grow was a solid four star read for me. I was drawn into both character's stories and found them both equally compelling. My only disappointment was in the ending of the story. Without giving away any spoilers, a detail was revealed about the character's lives that was unexpected to me and I would have much liked to explore that area of time in more detail. My hope is that the author will use that to develop another novel and to continue the families stories. I appreciated the commentary and questions at the end of the novel and feel those would enhance any reading or book club discussion.
I received this book courtesy of St. Martin's Press Thomas Dunne Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Emeline Vane lost so much in the war and just when she thinks she can't handle any more, her uncle is trying to force a husband upon her and remove her from her family estate Hallerton House, the only home she has ever known. Emeline escapes and travels to the south of France where she finds life anew, but is this new future that she dares to imagine for herself too good to be true. Will her uncle track her down and make her return? Will some other fate befall her?
Young solicitor Bill Perch is eager for his first real assignment to unearth some evidence that Emeline Vane should be declared dead so that her niece and nephew can move forward with a planned development on the family estate. When Bill discovers Emeline's diary, he feels drawn to her plight and becomes conflicted about whether to complete his assignment or continue to search for Emeline.
Where the Wild Cherries Grow was a solid four star read for me. I was drawn into both character's stories and found them both equally compelling. My only disappointment was in the ending of the story. Without giving away any spoilers, a detail was revealed about the character's lives that was unexpected to me and I would have much liked to explore that area of time in more detail. My hope is that the author will use that to develop another novel and to continue the families stories. I appreciated the commentary and questions at the end of the novel and feel those would enhance any reading or book club discussion.
I received this book courtesy of St. Martin's Press Thomas Dunne Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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