Description:
Called home to run her family's failing general store in 1930s Wisconsin, Melody Merriweather discovers the life she was desperate to escape might be the one she's been longing for all along. Inspired by Jane Austen's Emma.
Brief description: Michelle Cox has always been obsessed with stories of the past and has spent a lifetime collecting them. She is the award-winning author of historical fiction, including the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series, The Fallen Woman's Daughter, and The Merriweather Series - Jane Austen in Wisconsin. Cox also pens the wildly popular, "Novel Notes of Local Lore," a weekly blog chronicling the lives of Chicago's forgotten residents.She lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago with her husband, an assortment of children who continually leave and then come back, and one naughty Goldendoodle. Unbeknownst to most, she hoards board games she doesn't have time to play and is, not surprisingly, in love with both Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart. Likewise, she is happily addicted to period dramas and big band music. Also marmalade.
Review Quotes:
"A charming retelling of Jane Austen's Emma set during the Great Depression . . . Readers are in for a treat-Publisher's Weekly
"The novel shines in its palpable sense of place. Cox favors small-town charm exploration, infused with humor and romance. Though the ending is neatly tied, it hangs with a surprising romantic twist, leaving readers of lighthearted historical fiction eager for the next installment."-Booklife Reviews
"You don't have to read Emma to thoroughly enjoy this book. It stands on its own with a likeable heroine, delightful cast of characters, and enough twists and turns in the plot to never feel stale or retold."-Historical Novel Society