Here and Again by Nicole Dickson

I love when a book surprises me. I start to read it because the back cover tells me one thing but when I get into the book it is so much more complex. It is one of the pleasures of reading. With this book I received for received for review, about half way through I kept thinking of the old saying, “Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover”. Remember that? That has nothing to do with this books cover, but so much more about the depth of the story itself. This book is a winner.

Here and Again by Nicole Dickson
Publisher: NAL Trade
Publish Date: June 3, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0451466778

Synopsis: Deep in the Shenandoah Valley, the present and the past are as restless as the river mists. And when they collide, the heart is the only compass pointing home.

For nurse Ginger Martin, her late husband’s farm is both a treasured legacy and the harbinger of an uncertain future. Since he was recently killed in Iraq, every day is fraught with grief that won’t abate. Keeping the farm going and nourishing her children’s hopes without him seems as impossible as having dreams for the future—or going back into the past….

By a curious coincidence, a stranger appears in Ginger’s life, always showing up to help in unexpected and much-needed ways. He says he’s a soldier, lost and trying to make his way home, but Ginger understands that Samuel is a kindred spirit, longing to repair a life interrupted. The challenges of their hopes and longings will test who they really are in the most heartbreaking of ways. And only by coming to terms with their losses and the necessity of change will Ginger and Samuel be able to each make a future of their own—and discover at last where their true home lies….

My Thoughts: I am not so sure I even have the words to describe the depth the author has created with this story but I am going to try. Here and Again is a book about love and overcoming heartbreak. A book about family; the love and giving of others, for others. It is an amazing book of parallel lives that will bring you to tears in many areas.

I started this book with a bit of confusion. At first, it was hard to really figure out why you were reading letters from the 1860’s and then jumping into today. It took several chapters to comfortably fall into the dual storylines but once I did, the direction of the book became clearer.

I am not one to give details in my review because I want you to find out the things I did about the story and be as excited to turn each page as I am. But I will say that this book is an amazingly crafted piece of art. The work and detail that went into this is evident with the rich history of the area and extreme details of the home within that era. I love how belief in something greater than us takes hold and changes everyone and everything in the story.

This is a comforting book in many ways. With an in depth look at a military widow and the changes she must make in life yet continue to honor her husband, this book is so much more than what the back cover reveals. Awesome read I highly recommend to get your mind wondering where the story will lead and what it all really means!

Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.