6 member(s) found this review helpful.
innocent compassion links 5-year-old Claire Maloney to Roan Sullivan, a motherless 10-year-old lad whose life with his drunken, despicable father is a nightmare. A bond develops between the two that neither time nor space can break. Claire's family traces its roots back several generations to Ireland, and with them the mystical beliefs that creep into its contemporary culture and customs. Both families have deep roots in Dunderry, Georgia, where long-standing relationships weave in and out of daily life and are often more biological than at first acknowledged. When Roan is forced out of Dunderry, at age 15, after he kills his father while defending Claire, she is unable to forget him. For the next 20 years, she searches for Roan. Unknown to her, however, he has kept watch over her until he can prove himself worthy of her. A tragic accident brings Claire back to her home to recuperate and eventually Roan back to her. This is a story for any romantic who wants a bit of mystery, a lot of suspense, a tale of two star-crossed lovers, and a satisfying ending to a fast-paced novel.

Gail S. (
gail7254) wrote on 6/11/2006...
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book keeps you wnating to stop whatever you have to do to get back to it. You keep thinking of these people as your day goes on and you can't wait to get back.Claire makes friends with a boy from the wrong side of the hallow..her family is the founding family and his is on the take.He has an abusive father and she is the darling of her family.She is the only person in this town to see the boy-Roan- for being a lonely but great friend..as they grow she tries
to remain remain in his life but her family sends him to a foster home after his Father dies and she loses track of him.This is a great book.

Shelly G. (
BondGirl) wrote on 7/29/2007...
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was a very good book about two children who become friends when tragedy strikes and one of them is sent away only to find each other again in their adulthood. It was one of those books that I had a really hard time putting down.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a good story about family, friendship and romance. It will hold your attention! I've read it twice and enjoyed it both times.

Mary H. (
scichik) wrote on 3/3/2007...
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
**** One of my favorites! Love and tragedy! Does it bring them all together? Set in the South, big families, small towns.....a great book.

Robin M. (
robinmy) wrote on 8/6/2006...
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
This author has a very unique way of telling a story.

Angela T. (
rubyred) wrote on 1/19/2008...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I was expecting a light read, but I ended up not being able to put this book down. I will definitely be looking for more of Deborah Smith's work in the future.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
A very heart-warming story. I enjoyed it very much.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wonderfull book....a romance with a little depth to it!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Gripping novel of lost love and betrayal and find one's way back home again.
Torn apart by forces beyond their control when they were only children, Claire spends the next 20 years looking for Roan. Once she finds him, though, will the secret he's been keeping tear them apart again?