Lost Hours

I would have to say I would give Lost Hours by Karen White a 2 hankie rating. I cried twice, towards the end. This book was a haunting, moving story rooted in the deep south during racial prejudice times of the 30's. What starts out as a sisterhood with 3 girls, one black, and the terrible secret that they carried with them until they died. The sad part is they all were deeply affected for different reasons because the whole story hadn't been really sorted out and each felt a guilt that they really didn't have to carry. So fast forward to present day, as the last of the three finally wants closure, she unknowingly admits the granddaughter of one of the other women into her life, and with her help, is able to find closure and understanding and forgiveness. The grand daughter is searching for a kind of closure of her own, as she is a equestrian mangled by a fall from a horse and feels afraid to get back on the horse, so to speak. So this hunt for answers gives her purpose and in the end a whole new perspective on life. It is a must read. http://www.karen-white.com/ Library book

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Wow, it is Wednesday already. Seems like I lost a day. I just finished a 'hankie-read'. Now it is my goal to find out what the true hankie rating is and maybe who started it. But I have continuely read where someone gives a book a 2, 3 or 5 hankie read rating. With me, it takes a lot to get me crying, where this rating gets its start. How many hankies it takes to read the book. The book is 'Prayers for Sale' by Sandra Dallas. I was drawn to this book because it is set in early 1900's Colorado mining towns. Hennie is the person in the story who has the prayers for sale. Actually she has a sign on her house that states that but she will pray for you for free, and tell you lots of stories. I really liked the flow of the story from her life in the confederate south, losing her daughter to drowning ( a small hankie part) and husband to the war and then being encouraged to move to Colorado, where the men out number the women 10 to 1. I guess you could say she ended up a mail order bride. Anyway, she ends up in Middle Swan and I was drawn into her life and struggle at the time. Accidents in the mining business were plentiful. But she is the encouragement of the town and well liked. She befriends newbie wives and married prostititutes and will help them out with supposed old handmedowns which in reality she has purchased from Sears catalogue. And the story centers around quilting. The clincher for me. This was a good read from the library and have one of the author's previous books in my To Be Read stack.