If any place on God's earth was designed to help one heal, it is Meadowland. Surely here, at her brother-in-law's Kentucky farm, Rose and her daughters can recover from the events of the recent past--the loss of her husband during the 1918 influenza epidemic, her struggle with tuberculosis that required a stay at a sanatorium, and her girls' experience in an orphanage during her illness. At Meadowland, hope blooms as their past troubles become rich soil in which their faith can grow.
Dirk Meadows may have opened his home to his late brother's widow and her girls, but he keeps his heart tightly closed. The roots of his pain run deep, and the evidence of it is written across his face. Badly scarred by a fire and abandoned by the woman he loved, Dirk fiercely guards his heart from being hurt again. But it may be that his visitors will bring light back into his world and unlock the secret to true healing.
Bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart explores the tender places within the human heart in this character-driven story of trusting God to turn our burdens into something beautiful.
MY THOUGHTS.....
When the Meadow Blooms tells the heartwarming story of a mother and her two daughters who have been separated by illness for almost two years. Widowed Rose Meadows has spent the time being treated for tuberculosis in a Louisville, Kentucky sanitarium, and her daughters have lived in a home for children. Author Ann H. Gabhart paints a vivid picture of this painful separation and their efforts to be together again. Calla and her mother both reach out to Dirk Meadows for help, but he has allowed sorrow to isolate him from life. Will he answer their plea for help? Can he provide a sanctuary for his nieces and sister-in-law at the family farm, Meadowland?
Gabhart has created wonderful characters and written some of her best words ever! Nine-year-old Sienna is pure joy, but she often gets into trouble because of her innocence and her ability to get lost in observing nature. Fifteen-year-old Calla appears fearful and cautious, but she's had to be her sister's protector while they've been at the orphanage. Rose is a mother who is physically weak but fiercely strong in her determination to be with her daughters once again. And then, there's Dirk Meadows. A reclusive man who carries the burden of never getting over the loss of his true love.
When the Meadow Blooms offers a realistic picture of dealing with tuberculosis in 1925 Kentucky, and I was reminded of an episode from my own life. In the late 1950s, when I was still small, my great aunt spent over a year at a tuberculosis sanitarium in Paris, Kentucky, and my family often visited her on Sunday afternoons. Actually, my brother and I remained outdoors while my parents visited her, and I recall the feelings of uncertainty and fear that I experienced. TB was still a dreaded disease at that time, and enforced isolation was a given!
This is a touching story filled with so many emotions: uncertainty, fear, and separation, but it also shows the power of love and faith. I smiled, I cried, and I remembered, but I was left with so much joy! As the Meadow Blooms is a poignant 5-star read and it's one that will remain on the keeper shelf in my bookcase!
I received a copy from the author and publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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