Emma Garret is eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring, when her three children and grandchildren will travel back to Candlewood to celebrate her birthday at Hill House, the boardinghouse she oversees. Though anxious to introduce her sons to Zachary Breckenwith, the man who's been courting her, her sons' own problems--and wounds deeply hidden since childhood--soon overshadow her joy.
As Zachary presses Emma for an answer to his marriage proposal, Emma faces a host of dilemmas. Struggling to help her children, to determine the fate of Hill House, and plan her future with Zachary, Emma must rely on her wits, her determination, and her faith to help her fully understand the meaning of family, friendship, and love.
Delia Parr (Mary Lechleidner) is the author of nine historical novels and the winner of several awards, including the Laurel Wreath Award for Historical Romance, and the Aspen Gold Award for Best Inspirational Book in 1998. She lives in New Jersey, where she is a full-time high school teacher, then spends her summer vacation each year at the beach, writing. An avid kayaker, Mary also walks four miles a day. The mother of three grown children, she now shares her home with her beloved cats.