Kate is ready to put her nomadic, city-dwelling past behind her when she marries Joe Krause and moves with him to the Iowa farm that has been in his family for more than 140 years. But life on the farm isn't quite as idyllic as she'd hoped. It's filled with chores, judgmental neighbors, and her mother-in-law, who—unbeknownst to Kate until after the wedding—will be living with them.
As Kate struggles to find her place in the small farming community, she begins to realize that her husband and his family are not who she thought they were. According to town gossip, the Krause family harbors a long-kept secret about a mysterious death that haunts Kate as a dangerous, unexplainable chain of events begins.
From the beginning I wanted to smack Kate's husband Joe. Here's this woman who has married him barely knowing him and she HANDS OVER her savings account to him and he treats her like crap. His mentality towards his wife in 2012 was NOT that far off from his great-great-grandfather's in 1890 where the book keeps flashing back too.
Basically, Kate moves in realizes she will be living WITH her mother-in-law who is so not nice and resents her because she's married her baaaaaby. Any time Kate offers up advice or constructive criticism she is chastised,, made to feel dumb and then finally physically hit. Thankfully, she did not stay the victim for long and realized her husband was a tool and shacked up with her mother-in-law's enemy to try to work things out.
Then, after a break through I had high hopes for Joe that he was actually turning it around and making an effort to treat his wife like an equal partner and then he didn't get the chance to redeem himself.
Braxton County is a lovely little small town full of small town gossips and I giggled over the little old ladies trading stories and the scenes when conversations would stop when Kate would walk in. Small town USA. Gotta love it.
Back to Joe's great-great-grandfather, Joseph. He was murdered in his bed and ever since the family has been cursed with bad luck. Is it him or is it Hannah is wife, who not unlike Kate speaks her mind and doesn't stay silent. Unfortunately for Hannah the 1890s were a lot different in Braxton County than it was in 2012 for Kate.
This book is a great look at how a woman's role in the community and home have changed so much so fast. And how Kate comes into her own to stand on her own two feet and make her own choices for herself
I read this book in one day, so you know its gotta be good. ;)
Do you know any stories about your great-great-grandparents? Does your family have a family farm or homestead that's been in your family for years? Do you have any special family heirlooms?
I received this book from HarperCollins but all thoughts and feelings are my own.
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