Addie Morgan's family suffers from bipolar with psychosis disorder. Addie
has been spared but the other females in her family have
suffered from mental illness. Addie escapes her family in Alexandria,
Virginia, to start a new life in the country. She is living on a winery,
managing the business and has fallen in love with the owner, Scott. Scott
knows nothing of Addie's past and she is determined not to allow it
ruin her current happiness. Addie's quiet life is disrupted, though, when her aunt
visits her to inform her that her mentally unstable sister has delivered a
baby. Addie is forced to return home to get her sister committed to a
hospital and the baby placed in foster care. Upon her return to Alexandria, Addie
starts to bond with her baby niece and she gets closer to her
sister's ex-husband. She is then forced to choose between her safe life
at the winery and a life in Alexandria full of unknown. This book details the effect that mental illness has on an entire family. The
story flashes between the past and present with an element of witchcraft.
It's a well-written novel, just don't throw it in your beach bag and
expect a good laugh. (AO)
Daisy McCrea's life has been turned upside down. Not only has she lost her job but she has broken up with her boyfriend and had to return to the family home. She's living above the family bakery, The Union Street Bakery, and trying to salvage the ailing business. When an elderly customer leaves an old journal to Daisy she wonders why the old lady chose her. The journal is written by a young slave girl, Susie, who lived during the 1850s. Daisy learns more about herself and her family heritage than she could ever have imagined. I absolutely loved this book - it's chick lit with a difference! I was enthralled from start to finish. (BS)
