An Unexpected Family

This book starts out rather dramatically. It was a dark and stormy afternoon. Snow was blinding the visibility outside. Amelia was home alone when the knock came on the door. "I am your husband's daughter! Please let us in we are cold." Imagine the shock and disbelief. This story was very believable and I couldn't put it down. It brings an important issue to light. If we all had the courage and love to help people in the same situation as Miriam and Sadie, like the ladies and their extended families did, I know the world would be a better place. You will enjoy this visit to Covington.

In the beginning of this sequel, Amelia answers the door to find two strangers greeting her on a snowy day. They are Miriam, and her little daughter Sadie. When Miriam announced that she was the daughter of Ted DeClose, Amelia's deceased husband, she was in a terrible state of shock. Never having given a thought to Ted cheating on her in all of his travels overseas. Hannah, Max, and Grace are more welcoming to the mother and child, especially since they are there to run from Darren, Mariam's very abusive husband. When Miriam tries to explain this to Amelia, Amelia gradually comes around and her heart softens toward the two. They need a warm safe shelter to hide out in, and when Darren finally discovers them later on in the book, Miriam and Sadie go running to Roger's house that is in a very far-off area from the ladies, Max and Bob. Max and Bob handle the crisis very well when Darren keeps on making his appearance by keeping a close eye on him. The problem resolves by the book's end. Amelia becomes very close to Miriam and Sadie and they all really make a family.

This whole series is great, relaxing reading. You feel you are personally acquainted with the characters and a part of the community.

Through the years, as we have followed the lives of Amelia, Grace, and Hannah, we rejoiced for Grace when she fell in love with Bob and again for Hannah when she and Max were married. Now, finally, we have the opportunity to cheer for Amelia Declose, whom many of us think of as the most delicate of the three friends, as she finds An Unexpected Family. It was the ringing of the doorbell, followed by a frantic knocking, that changed Amelia's life forever. As she looked through the peephole of the front door, she had her first glimpse of a woman and child who identified themselves as Thomas Declose' daughter and granddaughter. Amelia was stunned and bewildered by these words - spoken by a stranger standing on her front porch. Thomas was Amelia's long deceased husband, and her only thought was, "Impossible! Our daughter died when she was nine years old." As memories and emotions whirled in her head, Amelia stood motionless and felt as if she was going to faint. As her struggle continued, Hannah's husband, Max, came up the porch steps and introduced himself to Miriam Declose Smith and her young daughter, Sadie. Throughout the pages of this book, the reader is allowed an intimate look into some raw feelings of betrayal as Amelia deals with the unbelievable discovery of her husband's infidelity. Throughout their life together, Amelia believed Thomas to be completely faithful to her but now she must face the ugly reality that he led a double life with another woman and even had an illegitimate child by that woman. We soon find out that Thomas's daughter, Miriam, is on the run from an abusive husband and is looking for sanctuary for herself and her daughter with the only person she felt she could trust - Amelia, her father's wife. To do so, she needed to tell Amelia a long story about Thomas' deception with her own mother, who died before Sadie was born - no easy task. In typical fashion, Hannah and Grace unite to help Amelia come to terms with her husband's adultery and to draw Miriam and Sadie (who were innocent victims in this saga) into their family circle. ***** This is not just a story about love, betrayal, forgiveness, respect, and friendship - although it is certainly all those things. To my mind, its main goal is to teach a painful lesson about self-inspection as Amelia is forced to confront, and come to terms with, a painful part of her own life and the depression she suffered following the death of her only child - which is when Thomas' infidelity began. I'll be waiting to read more about this unexpected family as they are incorporated into life in Covington! Bravo, Joan! ***** Reviewed by Ruth Wilson of Huntress Reviews.

I love Joan Medlicott books. It it so refreshing to read a book that is heartwarming and uplifting. So many authors now days think they have to have sex in books, movies, and music. They don't understand that sex doesn't always sell.