A sweeping southern women’s fiction novel about forgiving the past one letter at a time—from the author of When Never Comes.A year ago, Dovie Larkin’s life was shattered when her fiancé committed suicide just weeks before their wedding. Now, plagued by guilt, she has become a fixture at the cemetery where William is buried, visiting his grave daily, waiting for answers she knows will never come.… she knows will never come.
Then one day, she sees an old woman whose grief mirrors her own. Fascinated, she watches the woman leave a letter on a nearby grave. Dovie ignores her conscience and reads the letter—a mother’s plea for forgiveness to her dead daughter—and immediately needs to know the rest of the story.
As she delves deeper, a collection of letters from the cemetery’s lost and found begins to unravel a decades-old mystery involving one of Charleston’s wealthiest families. But even as Dovie seeks to answer questions about another woman’s past—questions filled with deception, betrayal, and heartbreaking loss—she starts to discover the keys to love, forgiveness, and finally embracing the future…
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I read books every night to relax before bed. It is tough to put this book down because the characters and storyline are so realistic. This is the best book I’ve read in a long time. I immediately ordered another one from this author!
Wonderful story…
Dovie Larkin was set to marry the man of her dreams, then he unexpectedly took his own life and left her completely shattered and filled with insurmountable grief. She just can’t fathom why he would do such a thing, by all accounts they seemed to be a happy couple about to embark on a lifelong journey together, now she is alone and riddled with questions. She spends everyday sitting at his grave waiting for answers to the many questions floating in her mind, full well knowing they will probably never come. But then a single letter, and a woman showing signs of the same kind of grief she has been suffering come into her life, and she finds herself on a little mission of sorts, one she hopes will put a little happiness back into both of their lives.
From the moment I started this beautifully written story I was completely captivated by it, it transported me to a simpler time and place, and invaded my heart and thoughts, to the point that it was all I could think of, when I wasn’t reading it. It was filled with moments of despair, loss, pain happiness, grief, and I felt each and every one of them to the core, it is one of those books you can’t help but feel the intent behind every printed word. I have to say this is by far one of the best introductions to a new to me author that I have ever had, her book moved me beyond words, and I wholeheartedly look forward to reading more of her books in the near future! Highly recommend this one, these characters are sure to leave an indelible impression on your heart, and keep you completely enthralled from start to finish!!
I was invested in the characters and genuinely wanted a happy ending for Alice’s mother after so many years of regret.
Very compelling. Great story.
Interesting characters and easy transitions between past and present. I enjoyed the book and will read more by this author.
I never knew about the tragic treatment of teen pregnancy in certain countries in the 40s,50s,and 60s.
Great book! The surprises just kept comming.
Great read! Finished at 1:30 a.m. when I had to be up at 6 but just couldn’t put it down!
I loved this sweet, sad and suspenseful story. There were surprised along the way that kept the story human. I will recommend it to my book club.
Such a different story. Enjoyed every page.
I really enjoyed this book, especially since I live across the bridge from Charleston, SC which is the setting for this story. The characters are skillfully crafted, interesting with unpredictable temperaments. Very good book!
I enjoyed the characters in this book, loved the setting in the low country, South Carolina. This book is not earth shattering, but is an enjoyable read on a rainy afternoon, even thought at times it is a bit melodramatic. Explores grief and how everyone deals with it in a different way, and that handling grief in your own way and time is the best way to do it.
I enjoyed every page.
Heartbreaking and heartwarming
This is a wonderful book about family, grief, guilt, love, and the mother-child bond. But what I enjoyed even more than the well-worked out characters were the beautiful descriptions of Charleston.
1960’s: Alice Tandy is sent to an asylum for unwed mothers in England. Her baby is taken from her and sent to America for adoption. Once she is released from the asylum, Alice goes to America to look for her son.
Fast forward to current times: Alice’s mother, Dora Tandy, meets Dovie at the cemetery where Alice and Dovie’s fiancé are both buried. When they find Alice’s letters in the lost and found department of the cemetery, Dovie doesn’t rest until she uncovers the whereabouts of Alice’s stolen child. The clues lead them back to the Tate family, where Alice spent her last years as a Nanny.
Alice’s letters are addictive and heartbreaking reading.
This was a mesmerizing read. I have become a huge fan of this author’s smooth, realistic writing style. Highly recommended.
I loved this book
Boring
LOVED it!!
All the letters, doed out to us over the course of the book, would have been read in one two-day marathon, if they were handed to me.