The Scent of Lilacs

by Ann H. Gabhart

In Canada: 

I absolutely loved this novel! It was a breath of warm, summer air on my cheek. It was pure, unadulterated, real, genuine. It had an intensity about it that made me return for more. It wasn't intense in the same way that a mystery or drama keeps you on the edge of your seat. It was intense in its purity, its realism. It touched me on a level that was unaccustomed to being touched by much of today's fiction.

It made me long for lazy summer days of a small town; of my carefree growing up days on the farm; of being surrounded by people that love and care for me; right on the edge of losing one's innocence and before being forced into the adolescent world of highschool, puberty, dating, peer pressure.

I am eager to read more of this author's work!

Here's what the book cover says:

In the humid summer of 1964, a family's secrets come to life. On the surface, Hollyhill, Kentucky, seems to be well insulated from the turbulent world beyond its quiet streets. Life-changing events rarely happen here, and when they do, they are few and far between. But for Jocie Brooke and her family, they happen all at once. Jocie's father, David, is a pillar of the community. But deep inside, he silently struggles with his broken marriage and the challenge of raising a teenage daughter on his own. Then there's Aunt Love, who's trying to forget her hurtful past by hiding behind black dressesand a stern facade. Even Wes, the newspaper pressman, avoids any inquiries about the road he's traveled. But for Jocie, there are questions that need answers. As she digs into her family's past, she finds a whirlwind of discoveries, and everything begins to change. In the end, will Jocie find the answers everyone so desperately needs, or will her questions lead to truths that were better left uncovered? © The Scent of Lilacs, Ann Gabhart, 2005