Esmeralda Crabb (Esme), the youngest daughter of the laziest man in Tennessee, is responsible for taking care of her older twin sisters and her father. They currently live in a cave and meals are sparse. Esme decides that things have to get better; she will go out and find herself a husband.
At first, I wasn't impressed with Esme until I realized she was desperate, not conniving. She sets her sights on the richest man in town, the storekeeper of the town mercantile. Cleavis Rhy, the man Esme sets her cap for, is cultured, punctual, handsome and well-spoken. He also has a lovely girl friend, Sophrona Tewksbury, a Bible verse-quoting, well-endowed, woman.
Because Esme isn't good looking, like her twin sisters and Sophrona, she decides to make herself indispensable to Cleav. She starts working in his store, helping customers, dusting and restocking shelves. She is everywhere Cleav is and the town starts to notice.
Esme routinely hikes her skirts to fix her stockings â because she can't afford garters. As an act of kindness, Cleav gives her a pair of garters; little does he know that such an intimate gift will doom him.
Cleavis must make amends by marrying Esme to save her reputation and his business. This sets off a chain reaction of events and reactions. It takes the rest of the book to resolve the situation. Esme is fun and plain-spoken; in turn, she frustrates and confounds poor Cleavis.
This story is beautifully told and is a rare treat.
At first, I wasn't impressed with Esme until I realized she was desperate, not conniving. She sets her sights on the richest man in town, the storekeeper of the town mercantile. Cleavis Rhy, the man Esme sets her cap for, is cultured, punctual, handsome and well-spoken. He also has a lovely girl friend, Sophrona Tewksbury, a Bible verse-quoting, well-endowed, woman.
Because Esme isn't good looking, like her twin sisters and Sophrona, she decides to make herself indispensable to Cleav. She starts working in his store, helping customers, dusting and restocking shelves. She is everywhere Cleav is and the town starts to notice.
Esme routinely hikes her skirts to fix her stockings â because she can't afford garters. As an act of kindness, Cleav gives her a pair of garters; little does he know that such an intimate gift will doom him.
Cleavis must make amends by marrying Esme to save her reputation and his business. This sets off a chain reaction of events and reactions. It takes the rest of the book to resolve the situation. Esme is fun and plain-spoken; in turn, she frustrates and confounds poor Cleavis.
This story is beautifully told and is a rare treat.
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