Mary Ann Scoville, a small town girl who was raised by a single parent and bullied as a child, has more than she ever thought possible--a lovely home, three beautiful girls, and is climbing up the social ladder. She and her husband, Jackson, have a mission to raise their children to have everything they didn't have growing up in small town South Carolina. But Mary Ann's life still feels empty until she is invited by a friend to a local Bible study and experiences her own personal miracle. Mary Ann then prays that her husband will find God but, when he does, he seems to take that to extremes just as he has so many things in life which causes a chasm to begin to develop in their marriage. To her friends and outsiders, everything looks picture perfect, but is it? Being part of the upper crust in Charleston brings on a whole new set of concerns and her daughters are exposed to a lifestyle that may not really be what she and Jackson had hoped for.
I was originally drawn to this book because I love Charleston, SC and the area surrounding and I had never read anything by Beth Webb Hart. Although the book is a fairly easy to read text, there are parts that I stumbled through. Ms. Hart can write a sentence longer than anyone I know! There are entire paragraphs that are only one sentence. Once I overcame that obstacle, I did enjoy the book. The author does paint a realistic picture of Charleston and it made me feel like I was walking the beloved streets. Each of the characters are believable, even if a bit radical and extreme. However, to be honest, it wasn't a story that made me not want to put it down. I wanted Mary Ann to be a bit stronger of a person and for Jackson to not be so dominant and over the top. It will make a nice addition to our church library and I will recommend it to anyone who loves Charleston as much as I.
