Alone without friends or family to comfort her after the death of her mother, Willow Finley’s idyllic life is over—and just beginning.The Finley women’s lives, while rich and full, aren’t easy. rejecting electricity and many other modern conveniences, they live purposefully and intentionally–alone and isolated from the world around them.When Willow Finley awakes on a hot summer morning, she is … hot summer morning, she is unprepared for the grief that awaits her. Jerked from a life of isolation with her mother, Willow learns what alone really means when she finds her mother dead.
From the moment Willow arrives in the police station with her startling announcement, Chad Tesdall fights the friendship he knows he can’t avoid.
Volume 1: This collection of Past Forward opens with Willow’s life-changing discovery and gently guides the reader through aspects of her life–the past weaving through the present and into the future. Experience her first morning in church, her first movie, and the culture shock of her first trips to the city. A birthday party and a street faire add welcome diversion from butchering, canning, and the beating of area rugs. Disaster strikes. Will she be able to continue her life, or will an offer in the city change it all? Find out in this first volume.
Volume 2: In this volume. Willow, battling grief and anger, drives Chad from the farm, but he finds himself drawn back, despite her determination to keep a wall between them. An accident and the chance of a lifetime threaten everything she thought she held dear. As the walls crumble, Chad and Willow’s friendship deepens into something truly special, but to what end? Everyone around him pushes Chad into a relationship he both wants and fights, knowing that Willow simply is not ready.
Volume 3: In this volume, Chad and Willow’s engagement doesn’t stay a secret for as long as they expected. Willow is initiated in the sport of shopping, attends her first ball, and a week with Marianne and Chad at her house is followed soon after by a week of Aggie’s children. This volume introduces her to weddings and ends with a surprise twist.
This collection boasts over 980 pages and over 250 5-star reviews for the first three books. Find out why thousands of readers have fallen in love with the engrossing Past Forward series.
“Buy the first collection to get three books you won’t be able to put down.”
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WOW… This was my first introduction to Chautona Havig and it is not my last. She spends a web that grabs you on the first page and you can’t sleep until you read it all. The main character of Past Forward is Willow. I’ll never forget her. I want her to be my friend and teach me how to make my life full of beauty as she does in her simple but hard life. She can sew, draw, fish, make cheese, candles, really you name it and she has the skills to do it. I’ve read this series 3 times my first year of discovering it. And yes, I will be reading it again. Love love love, and I highly recommend this series if you want a story that will take hold of you for the rest of your life. The characters are unforgettable.
The beauty of reading a book by Ms.. Havig is that she has the gift of bringing the story to life. I was so absorbed in Willow’s story that everything around me faded away. I loved getting to know Willow and how strong she was. It was so much fun to read how she made her own soap, canned vegetables and fruits and lived off the land. I could picture her out there in the hot sun as she worked in the garden and took care of her animals.I loved the way she lived and how carefree and innocent she was.
It is not hard to believe that she didn’t know how to ride an escalator or use a cell phone. Some may say she had been sheltered all her life. I think her mother raised a young woman who was able to provide for herself and stay away from the dangers that a city has. Her simple but hard working life appeals to me. The story does remind me of the summers I spent at my granddad’s farm. He harvested wheat, had chickens and a garden full of bountiful fruits and vegetables. He hardly went to town and enjoyed farming. Just like Willow, he didn’t have air conditioners and kept the windows open for the breeze to blow through.
The journals that Willow found that belonged to her mother was definitely eye opening. Her mother shared her heart in those journals and made Willow realize how hard it was at times for her mother. I loved how the author allowed readers to follow Willow as she discovers the city and all it has to offer. The movie theater incident was classic.. I won’t spoil it for you, but it is typical Willow discovering something new. I loved her innocence at things like riding in a vehicle or just walking into a store to purchase something. Can you imagine what it would be like to sew all your own clothes, eat off the land and never go into town?
Chad is a welcome addition to the story and instantly became a favorite of mine. He meets Willow under a tragic situation but quickly feels the need to protect her. He is a classic gentleman with a heart of gold It is easy to see the signs of deeper feelings he has towards Willow. After all, he seems to always find a reason to stop at her place. I rooted for Chad and Willow to get together and loved reading how at times Willow let her guard down with him.
The story is the liberation and new beginning for Willow as she finds herself on her own in a world that has many up and downs for her. Her talents are endless around the farm and her ability to adjust to new friends is wonderful to witness. I admired her mother for raising a daughter who stands up for herself and can easily take care of a farm with sweat and hard work. Being isolated most of her life does bring challenges to her but her determination is refreshing. I will briefly mention that there is a little tug of war going on with Willow’s feelings towards two men, but you must read the story to find out what happens. The big question is , will Willow continue to live on her farm, or will an opportunity draw her to the big city?
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.