Description: 1907. On the eve of her fifth birthday, Poppy Pendleton is tucked safely in her bed, listening to her parents entertain New York's gilded society in their Thousand Islands castle; the next morning, she is gone, and her father is found dead in his smoking room. 1992. Though Chloe Ridell lives in the shadows of Poppy's castle, now in ruins, she has little interest in the mystery that still captivates tourists and locals alike. She is focused on preserving the island she inherited from her grandparents and reviving their vintage candy shop. Until the day a girl named Emma shows up on Chloe's doorstep, with few possessions, save a tattered scrapbook that connects her to the Pendleton family. When a reporter arrives at Chloe's store, asking questions about her grandfather, Chloe decides to help him dig into a past she'd thought best left buried. The haunting truth about Poppy, they soon discover, could save Emma's life, so Chloe and Logan must work together to investigate exactly what happened long ago on Koster Isle.
Brief description:
Writing fiction is Melanie Dobson's excuse to immerse herself in the past by reading old books, interviewing new friends, and exploring fascinating places around the world. She is the award-winning author of almost thirty novels including The Lost Story of Via Belle, The Wings of Poppy Pendleton and Catching the Wind. Five of her novels received Carol Awards, and The Black Cloister was named the Foreword Religious Fiction Book of the Year. When she's not writing, Melanie enjoys kayaking, teaching creative writing, and connecting with readers at melaniedobson.com.
Review Quotes: [A] captivating dual-timeline novel. . . . [The] central mystery is layered and exciting. . . . Dobson's characters find redemption, discover their own strength, and experience the power of family relationships to pull us down--or lift us up.--BookPage