Drew Nelson did not plan to talk with anyone that
morning. He did not plan to make a new friend. He certainly did not plan to
fall in love.
He resisted all of Amy’s attempts to draw him out− at
the hotel, at the airport, on the airplane− giving hurried responses and burying
his face in a pile of papers. It was only when the flight attendant offered
coffee, and a muscle in Amy’s back twitched as she reached for it, and the cup
tipped, and the hot liquid puddled in Drew’s lap that they began to talk.
Earlier in the year, each had lost a spouse of over
thirty years. Drew’s wife had died of a brain tumor, Amy’s husband when his small
airplane nose-dived to earth, the engine at full throttle − an accident, it was
ruled.
They live in the same city. Both have
grandchildren. They are about the same age. Consciously, or not, they both are
looking to love again.
But relationships do not exist in vacuums. Drew is
wealthy, and Amy is middle class. Amy is “new” in town – she and her husband
moved to Charleston twenty-five years ago – while Drew’s family has lived there
for three centuries. Drew lives below
Broad, a code word for high society, old families, power, and money. Amy’s home is across the river.
Class warfare may be less violent than it was in
the past, but when Drew invites Amy to the St Cecelia Ball, battle lines are
drawn. In a city in which ancestry is important, the ball’s membership is
passed from father to son, and only those from the oldest families attend.
Family, friends, co-workers all weigh in on their
relationship and choose sides. Allies are found in unexpected places.
Opposition comes from among those who were thought to be friends. Though they
are gone, even their spouses − through things they have done and things they
have said − wield influence in the conflict that follows.
Amy begins to suspect that Drew is one of them, the rich snobs who despise
her, while Drew concludes that Amy neither trusts him nor cares for him. As
each questions the other’s motives, their feelings for each other are tested,
and Drew and Amy are challenged to consider if they truly want to fall in love
again.
BUY LINKS
About David Burnett
We have traveled widely in the United States and the United Kingdom. During one trip to Scotland, we visited Crathes Castle, the ancestral home of the Burnett family near Aberdeen.
My photographic subjects have been as varied as prehistoric ruins on the islands of Scotland, star trails, sea gulls, and a Native American powwow.
I went to school for longer than I want to admit, and I have graduate degrees in psychology and education. I was formerly director of research for our state education department.
We have two daughters and three grandchildren. To Fall in Love Again is my third novel.
GIVEAWAY
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My Review
A very sensitively written book, seen from the points of view of both Amy and Drew. I particularly enjoyed the development of their relationship, both of them doubting whether they are right for each other. There are some brilliant characters too in the form of Barb and Amy’s daughter. It was also interesting to see the class- ridden society of ‘Old Charleston’ although if I were Amy, I’m not sure that I’d even want to belong to such a club of snobs and bigots. There were a few coincidences and personally I found the fact that both their spouses died on the same day a bit of a leap too far. Nevertheless, this is a lovely heart-warming story that you won’t want to put down.
4.5/5
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