The housekeeper, Miss Ella Rain, raised Tucker and his younger brother, Mutt, on a large Southern plantation. She loved the orphaned boys as if they were her own. The only good their father ever did was hire her to look after Waverly Hall and the boys.

Tucker is forced to go back home and deal with the misery of his own tragic history when his brother escapes from a mental institution and an old girlfriend shows up with her son and a black eye.

Tuck can still hear Miss Ella's voice and her prayers even though she has been gone for a long time. Finding peace and making a fresh start, though, will require a level of grace that Tucker hardly believes in.

My Review

This book has beautiful writing. In the story that follows, two half-brothers who are now adults try to survive the impact of their horrific childhood. But in the end, their love for Ella Rain, their caretaker, and each other is what saves them.

The book had a very apparent Christian message, but unlike the customarily overly sensitive and pompous Christian author, the narrative seemed real and vulnerable. Despite the tragedy that serves as the plot's foundation, hope and tenacity are the major themes.

Each character demonstrates a remarkable capacity for both moral rectitude and forgiveness. Both the descriptions of the breathtaking environment and the setting are quite vivid. I usually read books written by women, but I could tell this book was strongly written from a male standpoint.

There were many aspects that distracted me, and the climax didn't really wow me. Even though the romance in the book was overdone, as I read more of the narrative, my impression of it changed. In spite of this, I couldn't help but want to read more to find out what happened next.

Although I must say that I'm not particularly a fan of this book, it does have a wonderful message overall.

My ratings score:

★★★★★ Fantastic! Made me go through a lot of emotions & the entire book is incredibly beautifully done! 

★★★★ Memorable! Despite its shortcomings, this book was incredible and taught us a lot. 

★★★ Good work! Nothing particularly remarkable, but still nice.

★★ Meh... Mediocre with great room for improvement.

★ Extremely Poor.