Helpful Score: 3
This is a very lovely book. Tess is a wonderful character to get to know. Her journey is enjoyable as she enters small town life and tries to come to terms with her mother and hoopla surrounding her mother and her mother's death. Ned and his brother Phil are also interesting characters to know. Each is very distinctive in his own way, but you only get to see inside Ned's head. I particularly enjoyed Tess's love of needlework and lace and all that transpired with the uncovering of the boat. Now for the not so good. For all the talk in the book about small town life and how everyone in everyone else's business, Tess does not interact much with anyone but the Ravenal family. I would have liked to learn more about the town residents. Also, I can't be sure if I liked the ending or not. Despite these minor details, I did like this book and am pleased to recommend it.
