Mill Creek, Wisconsin. The year 1946. We meet Imogene and her sister Hazel along with their two brothers, Chet and Ivan. Fast forward to present day Mill Creek, Wisconsin, when we meet Aggie (Agnes) and Mumsie. We all need a Mumsie … once we get to know her. As it turns out, Mumsie turned out to be Imogene of the year 1946. Present day we also meet Collin, an archaeologist, who was assigned to help re-establish a flooded cemetery. A cemetery that held secrets that no one was expecting.
Back in 1946, we also meet Ollie and the Pickett family
(Sam, the brother; Ida, the sister). This was a time when all ‘the boys’ came
back from the war and were forever changed, which added an element to the
personality of the characters back in 1946. In words alone, the author managed
to elevate their voices, their particular quirks.
The only reason Aggie returned home was because Mumsie sent
her a note that was not 100 percent truthful and since Aggie had nothing left,
back home she went. Little did she know what she would stumble onto in her new
‘career’ as the cemetery secretary.
Favorite quote: “She was like a burnt marshmallow that once
had been sweet but had come too close to the fire and was left crispy and
unwanted.”
To me, there was quite a bit of humor interlaced among the
stories told throughout these pages, the author’s personality really shining
through. I also appreciated the fact that the flooded-out graveyard very slowly
let out its secrets so some answers of long ago could be unburied and grieved
properly, almost as if Hazel was directing things from above, to finally let
Imogene (Mumsie) get the peace in life she so richly deserved. The love
interests of 1946 and present day also kept me highly entertained as well. It
is no wonder that this author is one of my favorite historical fiction writers.
She has a way of telling a story that holds my interest and keeps me turning
pages.
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