Angel Sister by Ann H. Gabhart

It is 1936 and Kate Merritt, the middle child of Victor and Nadine, works hard to keep her family together. Her father slowly slips into alcoholism and his business suffers during the Great Depression. As her mother tries to come to grips with their situation and her sisters seem to remain blissfully oblivious to it, it is Kate who must shoulder the emotional load. Who could imagine that a dirty, abandoned little girl named Lorena Birdsong would be just what the Merritts need?
In this richly textured novel, award-winning author Ann H. Gabhart reveals the power of true love, the freedom of forgiveness, and the strength to persevere through troubled times. Multidimensional characters face real and trenchant problems while maintaining their family bonds, all against the backdrop of a sultry Kentucky summer. Readers will be drawn into the story and find themselves lingering there long after they’ve finished the book.

It’s the Great Depression and the Merritt family, as well as the rest of the inhabitants of Rosey Corner, struggle to survive. Kate’s father, Victor, struggles with alcoholism as he runs his horseshoe business. He’s trying to forget the tragedies he’s witnessed while fighting the war. Nadine, Victor’s wife, doesn’t think she can handle her husband’s addiction any longer, and is unable to provide the emotional support that Victor needs, so Kate steps in to shoulder the load. Both Victor and Nadine have extremely strained relationships with their fathers, and these relationships are tested as traumatic events happen in Rosey Corner.

When I saw the description of this book, I thought that Lorena Birdsong would show up at the beginning of the story, abandoned at the Merritt’s house. I was surprised that Lorena’s character was not introduced until about 100 pages into the book. She’s found abandoned on the church steps because her parents were too poor to feed her. Skinny, malnourished, and scared, she believes that Kate is an angel who’s come to rescue her.

There were a lot of flashbacks, going back to the days of Victor and Nadine’s courtship, then back to the present, that I was not expecting. I think the problems that this couple faced with their parents and their siblings were realistic and emotional.

I also found it a bit strange that two people – Kate’s father (a preacher) and Victor’s father (the owner of the largest store in the town – plus he’s one of the wealthiest men in town) had the power to decide the fate of Lorena Birdsong. It appeared that back in the thirties, the law didn’t have much power over the town, people just kind of did what they wanted and allowed the richest and most powerful people in town to dictate what would happen to others.

The tragic death of Victor’s brother, which happened several years ago, is also a bone of contention between father and son. Also, there’s an unusual twist in the story involving a brother (Graham) and a sister (Fern) who live out in the woods, separated from the town. Fern’s mind has not functioned properly since she had a serious illness and she roams the woods, cutting down trees and building her palaces.

This book was an interesting and emotional read. If you like historical stories that paint a vivid picture of the way of live during the Great Depression, then you’ll probably enjoy this book.

Many thanks to Baker/Revell for providing me with a free review copy.

~Cecelia Dowdy~