by Lisa Wingate

Talk about emotional! This story drags you through the mud on the shores of the Mississippi River to the mud on the shores of the Savannah River and the decades in between. There is the muddy mind of an Alzheimer’s patient, the muddy memories that want to be forgotten, and the muddy waters of an engagement that may or may not be the right thing. Not to mention mudslinging politicians and a southern mother who wouldn’t dare step near a puddle of mud even if her life depended on it.

So there’s mud. But so much more. The historical portion of the novel is tough to swallow when you realize it’s based on something that really happened. Children were taken from their poor parents and essentially sold under the guise of adoption, to wealthy families. The contemporary portion of the story where the characters are unearthing this sordid history about their grandparents is believable and sweet.

Read this novel. You’ll learn something about the past, you’ll meet fascinating people, and maybe you’ll even learn to look beyond the exterior of the people around you and learn to enjoy the depth and richness that comes with being human.

I connected with the book on so many levels, I have to give it 5 stars. Also, it’s a clean read. (except for the mud).

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