Mary Schramski

Juliette Carlton lives in Las Vegas, works as a blackjack dealer, has gone through her third divorce from a slick talking loser. Living in a crappy apartment with minimum furniture - the ex took everything when he moved out - life is not good, but it is all she knows.

Getting a message to call some lawyer in North Carolina is just the beginning to learning more about herself, her family and life in general. Seems she has been left Magnolia Hall, a home built during the Civil War. Apparently she is the last of the family line.

Her memories of her father's family is vague. She only lived there a very short time when she was little, and never got close to the uncle who lived in the house. Her family upped and moved to Las Vegas where her father walked out of her life and she grew up with a mother who made no bones of wishing Juliette wasn't there.

Figuring she could sell the house and have money to 'straighten out her life' she finds that she might as well go back, see the property, and get it on the market. This is made possible by getting fired from her job.

When she arrives there she find Tildy Butler coming to the house on a daily basis. Tildy was Juliette's Uncle Grey's housekeeper. It seems her ties to the property is deeper than Juliette knows and can even understand.

It is written so you are reading entries from Charlotte's diary - Charlotte was the first mistress of Magnolia Hall and a distant relative to Juliette; and then reading about the current goings on as Juliette navigates Southern culture, climate and learning about her family history. A sort of double story, that ties together well.

I took my time reading to be able to enjoy the ambiance of the story. The events that are revealed from the family history and that happen in the current time weave a story that you find you keep revisiting in your mind.… (mer)