Rate this book

A Lantern In The Window (2000)

by Bobby Hutchinson(Favorite Author)

3.59 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

review 1: A lovely, heart-warming, relatively short story (Words: 31,217 approximate).Annie has a hard life behind her, working in a factory, losing her father and mother and determined to care for her sister Beth. When Beth becomes ill, partly due to the harsh conditions, Annie decides that she has to change the course of their future. Honesty brings her no success as a prospective mail-order bride, so she depicts herself as an older widow with a child.Noah desperately needs help on his remote farm. He still grieves the loss of his wife and their small child, but his father is bedridden after a stroke and he can't take care of the now cranky old man as he should. He reluctantly decides to marry again as a practical solution for both parties.He is outraged to discover that Annie is ... morea skinny 20 year-old with a sister in tow. Unable to leave them in the freezing conditions at the station and aware that a search for a more suitable wife would take months, he takes them home with great misgiving.There begins their story. Noah trapped in the past and unwilling to allow anyone into his heart. Annie has to learn about farming and cooking and most importantly how to cope with the emotional detachment of her husband. Although it is a relatively short story, the characters develop and you care about them. They are both good people and deserve happiness together. Noah's father and Beth become soul mates and find acceptance in each other.There is humour and sadness, grief, friendship and love. A wonderful story that leaves you wishing for more.
review 2: I don't read many novellas because they make me think, "That would have been a good story if it had been longer." But this happened to pop up on a recommendation site when I was in the mood for something short, and I'm glad I took a chance on it. It was short and sweet, but written just right for its length. There was enough backstory and character development for me to become invested in the characters, and the plot was concise enough to work in novella format. Sure, I wouldn't have minded if this story were longer, but I didn't feel like the short length worked against the story. less

Download links for: A Lantern In the Window

Advertising