Letters From My Sister by Valerie Fraser Luesse
Genre: Historical mystery/romance
Publisher: Revell Publishing
Publication Year: 2023
5 Stars
There was something about this book that completely captured my heart. The storytelling aspect reminded me so much of novels I used to devour and re-read when I was in my teens. Books written in the 1800’s and 1900’s with stories that have nothing and everything happening at the same time. The cadence of the story just had a sweetness to it that spoke of nostalgia and memories untwining like leaves blossoming in the sun.
It was such a refreshing read to have a book take place in the south without all of the chaotic race-baiting and to show a family without prejudice similar to some that exist, but seem to have been nearly completely left out of fiction. I loved the depiction of a family that loved all people and raised their children in the ways of the Lord and family. I will say, the large family and lots of siblings trope was one of my favorite parts of this book as it was something that I could relate to and find is unusual to find in fiction.
The mystery had me on the edge of my seat and this was the first book in a long while to keep me up late to finish it. Did I read until one in the morning just to have the story completed? Yes, yes I did.
The romance was sweet, innocent and adorable and one I didn’t just highly enjoy, but that I hope one day to emulate. It’s a treasure to find a romance where the characters are respectful to each other, love each other truly and are focused on commitment and honoring the other person and we need more fiction that models this.
There were some tough topics handled in this book so while I found it clean in the romance aspect, I would recommend it for adults or those that don’t mind topics such as racism, abuse, and murder being mentioned or discussed. Nothing was gratuitous in anyway and I found the story told very tastefully.
Highly recommend it if you love gentle stories, historical settings in the south and soft romance.
*This book was given to me free of charge in exchange for my honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and in no way influenced by the author or publisher.
