Kat's Favorite Books-Morning Glory, LaVyrle Spencer

While Holly and I are such huge readers that asking us to pick our favorite book is Sophie's choice for us, there are some books that have stood out over the years.  From time to time we'll share these with you.  Don't judge, just enjoy.

Morning Glory 
by LaVyrle Spencer

This was the first LaVyrle Spencer book I'd read, and I discovered it at the age of 12 in the way I discovered most "real" books....my mother left it in the bathroom.  I skimmed the back, and was interested enough to start the first chapter, but my guilt forced me to follow the family rule of asking permission.  (My mother wanted me to avoid reading the bodice rippers with too many "racy" chapters. ((I'm looking at you, Linda Lael Miller)))  After dinner, permission in hand, I feigned stomach issues and ran to the bathroom.

While I've always cherished my ability to fall into a story completely (to the point that I catch myself reading the character I most identify with's lines out loud,) and had been reading chapter books since first grade ("Frank and Stein and Me", holla!) I was still overwhelmed with how instantly I was transported to Whitney, Georgia in the early 1940's.

The reviews will tell you it's the story of Elly Dinsmore, a widow of twenty-five, with two children (and one on the way!) and of Will Parker, an ex-con about 30.  They'll tell you the story takes place on the eve of WWII, and they'll probably mention the murder.  They might even mention a few of the small town's cast of characters: the cantankerous librarian with a hidden heart of gold, the bachelor twin brothers, veterans of The Great War, who declare themselves Town Watch, or the town hussy who wants more than her backwater town allows her.

Really though, what you need to know is that the heart of the novel is two broken people finding each other, and how the power of loving, and being loved, can heal a lifetime of sorrow.  And that's a story we could use more of.

Purchase your copy of Morning Glory on Amazon. 

No affiliate links here. Just the love of a good story.