MY REVIEW:
New-to-me author Brandy Heineman delivered an intriguing novel that held my interest throughout. The book was somewhat different than what I am used to but interesting nevertheless. Its reasonably slow-moving plot fits perfectly with the Southern background of the story.
Filled with characters with secrets or unresolved issues, the story revolves around Abby Wells who after her mother’s death and loss of her job, leaves everything to attempt to discover her family roots. Her Georgia relatives are somewhat weird to say the least and Abby’s Aunt Ruby soon has her believing that the family home is inhabited by a ghost. Needless to say, secrets are revealed and Abby discovers the truth about her ghost. Abby is a character who is difficult to like or understand but I found myself pitying her and her plight. I did admire her ex-boyfriend Greg whose persistence won me over.
“Whispers in the Branches” will appeal to those with interest in genealogy and Southern literature. I enjoyed it immensely.
This book was provided for review by the Book Club Network.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Tending a void in her heart that demands to be filled, Abby Wells uproots her life in Ohio to move into the ancestral home in Georgia. Now that her mom is gone, it’s her best chance to connect with the last of her family, and she can’t deny the pull of the supposedly haunted house. The seductive comfort of believing that ghosts could be real drives her search, but Aunt Ruby’s plans for Abby don’t include revealing secrets kept for seventy years. Oh, there’s dirty laundry she’d like to air-just not her own.
Indulging in the attentions of the house’s handsome caretaker helps numb her pain, but Abby’s ex-boyfriend won’t let go of the past. He hounds her about his newfound religion in hopes of reconciling, but why reach for him or the God who couldn’t or wouldn’t spare her mom? In the stillness of the old house, the spirit world feels so close she can almost touch it. But she doesn’t know yet that there’s more than one way to be haunted.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
BRANDY HEINEMAN pens dual time frame novels from a Christian worldview, including Genesis finalist Whispers in the Branches. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and an alumna of Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. She and her husband, Michael, reside in metro Atlanta.
Visit her website at http://brandyheineman.com.
