Beth Johnson’s life is far different from what she envisioned as a teen— she dreamed of attending Oxford University, living the life of a poet. Now, married to Frank Johnson, helping him and his brother Jimmy to run the family dairy farm, she is in love and satisfied with this life of productive labor, outdoor work, caring for the land and animals. But what is in the past has a way of forcing its way into your path, when it is unresolved. So it is with her teen love, Gabriel Wolfe, now best-selling author, and his son, Leo. When chance brings Gabriel and Beth together again, old hurts and passion re-emerges, bringing buried secrets, things left unsaid demand to be spoken, and a final tragedy serves to purge all, forcing a resolution.

This is one of the best crafted books I have read in a while. When a well-structured story is told, it casts a shadow on other works you thought were quite good, rising a bit higher than the rest. Descriptions of farm activity are accurate, reflecting the author’s research. Class differences of rural southern England between farmers, villagers, and the Wolfe family on their Meadowlands estate are well drawn, as we see how secrets, gossip, and support are handled. We are taken into the lives of Beth, Gabriel, and Frank, and also learn enough about their families to understand the three and their motivations more deeply. Most central to the story is Beth, why she makes her choices, the grief she carries, how her relationships change, and how they stay the same. Through Beth we learn how what we think we want from life can change, and how love and loss give insight, and can make us better people.

This is not a romance novel, although it has two intense loves at its core. There are mysteries to be revealed, deep grief for the loss of a child, and a journey of self-discovery for our main character. This is a book that will probably stay in your mind for a while. The author has done a fine job, writing a book that is both entertaining, and encouraging self-reflection in the reader. Highly recommended.