In the clay-rich hills of the newly founded state of West Virginia, two families tentatively come together to rebuild a war-torn brickmaking business.
Ewan McKay has immigrated to West Virginia with his aunt and uncle, promising to trade his skills in the clay business for financial help. Uncle Hugh purchases a brickmaking operation from a Civil War widow and her daughter, and it's Ewan's job to get the company up and running again.
Ewan seeks help from Laura, the former owner's daughter, and he quickly feels a connection with her, but she's being courted by another man--a lawyer with far more social clout and money than Ewan. Resolving that he'll make the brickworks enough of a success that he can become a partner in the business and be able to afford to bring his sisters over from Ireland, Ewan pours all his energy into the new job.
But when Hugh signs a bad business deal, all Ewan's hard work is put in jeopardy. As his hopes for the future crumble, Laura reveals something surprising. Can she help him save the brickworks, and will Ewan finally get a shot at winning her heart?
My Review:
Judith Miller has outdone herself again! I really enjoy her books and this one was no exception. She has written this one with the perfect combination of a few of my time periods and cultures -- the antebellum time period and the Irish.
I really enjoyed the conflict between right and wrong and the ethical debate in this book -- though it wasn't much of a debate. Ewan was a character who was easy to love, Hugh easy to dislike, Laura gives mixed feelings... Laura is a strong female character who does what she believes to be right and what she wants to do despite how others might think or feel... except in regards to who she is going to marry. But God has other plans and works those out.
I highly recommend this book if you like conflict between right and wrong, a girl who MIGHT marry the wrong guy if something doesn't change, and you like to see people change and improve.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
